The Disability Act of 1995, also known as the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), ensures the rights of the disabled in the United Kingdom. The DDA helps to ensure the rights of the disabled in the areas of education, employment and access to facilities and services.

Disability Defined

The Disability Act of 1995 considers a disability to be any long-term mental or physical impairment that affects a person's ability to perform normal daily activities.

Education

The educational rights of the disabled ensured by the DDA were amended with the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act of 2001. The legislation mandates that reasonable accommodations, like receiving extra support and offering tests in alternative formats (such as audio or Braille) are made available to students with disabilities.

Employment

The DDA makes discriminating against disabled job applicants illegal. As long as the applicant can fulfill the job requirements, employers are required to consider the person for the position.

Facility Access

The Disability Act of 1995 requires all public facilities to be accessible to the disabled. This may include having a wheelchair ramp to enter the building and having a functioning elevator in buildings with more than one floor.

Transportation Services

Access to public transportation services is another mandate of the Disability Act of 1995. Public transportation services must provide time schedules in disability-friendly formats, like large print and Braille.

Source:

Direct.gov