TABLE OF CONTENTS The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) introduced new laws aimed at ending the discrimination that many disabled people face.
The DDA defines disability, and identifies who is protected under it. The definition is broad: a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and longterm adverse effect on a person s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities .
The DDA makes it unlawful to treat a disabled person less favourably than others for a disability-related reason in relation to the disposal or management of residential, commercial and other premises, unless that treatment can be justified under the Act.
Part III of the Act introduced specific duties on organisations that provide services; these duties were introduced in three phases:
from December 1996, it became unlawful for service providers to refuse to serve a disabled person, offer a lower standard of service or provide a service on worse terms to a disabled person for a reason related to his/her disability
from October 1999, service providers have had to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people in the way they provide their services
from October 2004, service providers have to make reasonable adjustments in relation to the physical features of their premises to overcome physical barriers to access.
From October 2004, where a physical feature (i.e. anything on the premises arising from a building s design or construction or the approach to, exit from or access to such a building; fixtures, fittings, furnishings, equipment or materials and...
