Disability Discrimination Act

What you need to know

Introduction

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 introduced new laws aimed at ending the discrimination that many disabled people face.  The Act gives disabled people new rights in the areas of:

  • access to goods, facilities and services
  • buying or renting land or property
  • employment.

The Act defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’. 

Progressive conditions, such as diabetes, where the symptoms would satisfy the Act’s categories if medication was not taken, are protected.

Under the DDA, discrimination occurs when:

  • a disabled person is treated less favourably than someone else
  • the treatment is for a reason relating to the person’s disability
  • this treatment cannot be justified.

Discrimination also occurs where:

  • there is a failure to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled person
  • that failure cannot be justified.