The Disability Discrimination Act

Background

First introduced in 1996 and amended in 2004, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) aims to end prejudice against the less able. It makes it unlawful for 'service providers' (anyone that provides a service to the public) to treat someone less favourably because of a disability.

Implications

The DDA requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments to tackle physical building features, which act as a barrier to less able people who wish to access their services. This may mean installing a ramp or platform lift to replace a flight of stairs, or lowering door handles to a convenient height for wheelchair users.

Further information

This section of the website contains articles on legislative relevant topics. It includes information on the DDA and how to meet its requirements, a piece about renovating historic buildings to improve access, and details on Local Authority National Type Approval Confederation (LANTAC) accreditation. Use the links on the right to browse our knowledge library.