Everyone involved in providing a service, club or charity needs to know what are the rights of disabled people.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Everydaylifeandaccess/Everydayaccess/DG_4018353

Everyday services include services provided by local councils, doctors' surgeries, shops, hotels, banks, pubs, post offices, theatres, hairdressers, places of worship, courts and voluntary groups such as play groups. Non-educational services provided by schools are also included.

Access to services is not just about installing ramps and widening doorways for wheelchair users - it is about making services easier to use for all disabled people, including people who are blind, deaf or have a learning disability.

Reasonable adjustments

Under the DDA, it is unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably than other people for a reason related to their disability. Service providers now have to make 'reasonable adjustments' to the way they deliver their services so that disabled people can use them.

The purpose of this Bill is to make Britain a fairer place, where people have the opportunity to succeed whatever their race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or beliefs. Fairness and an absence of discrimination are the hallmarks of a modern, decent society, with a strong economy, which draws on the talents of all.

The main elements of this Bill are:

* making Britain fairer through a single equality duty which will require public bodies to consider the diverse needs and requirements of their workforce, and the communities they serve, when developing employment policies and planning services
* making public bodies more transparent - if inequality remains hidden, it cant be measured and progress cannot be made
* improving enforcement
* allowing political parties to use all-women election shortlists until 2030
* making the law more accessible and easier to understand by bringing together nine major pieces of legislation and around 100 other laws in a single Bill

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Parliament/DG_077923

Disabled workers share the same general employment rights as other workers, but there are also some special provisions for them under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). One important aspect of this is the right to reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Under the DDA, it is unlawful for employers to discriminate against disabled people for a reason related to their disability, in all aspects of employment, unless this can be justified. The Act covers things like:

* application forms
* interview arrangements
* proficiency tests
* job offers
* terms of employment
* promotion, transfer or training opportunities
* work-related benefits such as access to recreation or refreshment facilities
* dismissal or redundancy

Under the DDA, your employer has a duty to make 'reasonable adjustments' to make sure you're not put at a substantial disadvantage by employment arrangements or any physical feature of the workplace.

Examples of the sort of adjustments your employer should consider, in consultation with you, include:

* allocating some of your work to someone else
* transferring you to another post or another place of work
* making adjustments to the buildings where you work
* being flexible about your hours - allowing you to have different core working hours and to be away from the office for assessment, treatment or rehabilitation
* providing training or retraining if you cannot do your current job any longer
* providing modified equipment
* making instructions and manuals more accessible
* providing a reader or interpreter

Things to consider at work

You can play an active role in discussing these arrangements with your employer. You might also want to encourage your employer to speak to someone with expertise in providing work-related help for disabled people, such as an occupational health adviser.

Issues for you both to consider include:

* how effective will an adjustment be?
* will it mean that your disability is slightly less of a disadvantage or will it significantly reduce the disadvantage?
* is it practical?
* will it cause much disruption?
* will it help other people in the workplace?
* is it affordable?

You may want to make sure that your employer is aware of the Access to Work programme run by Jobcentre Plus. Through this programme, employers can get advice on appropriate adjustments and possibly some financial help towards the cost of the adjustments.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/YourEmploymentRights/DG_4001071