Welcome to our regular disability news update…remember to keep coming back each month for a regular review of all things Inclusion, OT, DDA and disability related!!

Launch of the Equality Bill

The Equality Bill has now been published in a trial format. Most of it is expected to come into force from Autumn 2010. The Bill aims to simplify the law, which has become progressively more complex over the last few decades as equality legislation has been introduced and amended. Through the replacement of nine major pieces of legislation and approximately 100 other measures, it is hoped that individuals, employers and service providers will find it easier to understand the
extent of their rights and obligations.

One of the Acts that will be superseded is the Disability Discrimination Act. Although this has been in existence since 1995, there are still many improvements to be made in terms of attitudes and access to services and employment. For example, disabled people are twice as likely to be out of work.

Amongst other provisions, the new Bill introduces the following:

• a new single Equality Duty on public bodies, replacing the separate duties that currently apply only to race, disability and gender.
• the use of public procurement to improve equality.
• protection of carers from discrimination.
• strengthened protection from discrimination for disabled people.
• extended scope to positively discriminate  for example, to appoint a job candidate from an underrepresented group, as long as candidates are equally suitable.

To view the Equality Bill, and to track its progression, visit the About Parliament website http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/equality.html

The EHRC has certain statutory responsibilities, which are set out in the Equalities Act 2006. In response to these duties, the EHRC will be producing a range of Codes of Practice and guidance documents to help stakeholders interpret the Bill on a practical basis. In order to identify the type of guidance that will be most useful and effective, the EHRC is running a consultation in which it invites any interested parties to participate.

On its website, the EHRC sets out the guidance it is considering producing. To view these suggestions, and to respond to the consultation, visit the EHRC website survey:

http://cecollect.com/vf/7530r9491Z7166F61c99

The consultation ends on 7 June 2009. An overview of the changes that the new Bill is likely to introduce can be found on the Government Equalities Office website:

http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_bill.aspx

Recession to hit disabled workers hardest

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has expressed concerns that disabled employees are being disproportionately affected by the recession. There is evidence that previous recessions have resulted in discrimination against disabled people and unfair selection for redundancy, and there are worries that the same pattern will be evident during this recession. The TUC fears that increased unemployment amongst disabled people may result in social divide and long-term hardship.

Frances O’Grady, TUC Deputy General Secretary, said: “As in previous recessions it will be disabled workers who will be disproportionately affected: by funding pressures on key services, with the public finances now deep in the red; by discrimination during redundancy selection, based perhaps on absence records; and by an even greater reluctance on the part of employers to meet their obligations towards disabled staff.”

She continued: ‘It is our job as unionists to be alert to these dangers; to hold employers and indeed ministers to account for the actions they take. Otherwise we face a reversal of the slow, painful progress we have made over the past decade in increasing the employment rate among disabled people.”

Further comment can be found on the TUC website:

http://www.tuc.org.uk/newsroom/tuc-16477-f0.cfm

Inclusion are based around London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and cover the whole of the south of the UK. We also cover up to the midlands and over towards the south west of the country – please contact us for further details or for free support and advice around any DDA or Occupational Therapy issues.