Public bodies come under disability equality duty

Around 45,000 public bodies come under a duty today to promote equality for disabled people, with those who fail to implement it liable to face court action.

The disability equality duty is designed to ensure bodies take into account disabled people’s needs in the planning and delivery of all of their services.

Disability Rights Commission chair Bert Massie said: “Those who fail to meet their new legal duties risk facing us in court.”

By today, all must have published a disability equality scheme, including an action plan to promote equality, and must have involved disabled people in doing so.

The scheme must include a statement of how authorities will assess the impact of their policies on disabled people.

The DRC will begin scrutinising schemes from tomorrow.