Disability Equality
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 places a new duty on
everyone working in the public sector to demonstrate what they are
doing to promote equality for disabled people. This is then set out
in a Disability Equality Scheme.
The aim of the scheme is to:
- Promote positive attitudes towards Disabled
Persons
- Encourage participation by Disabled Persons in
public life
- Promote equality of opportunity between
disabled people and other people
- Eliminate disability related
harassment
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination
- Take steps to meet disabled people's
needs
As part of the scheme we have consulted with people with
disabilities to find out what matters to them and what more we can
do to promote disability equality.
The scheme forms a distinct strand of our:
Equality and
Diversity Policy 
(131K)
Single
Equality Scheme 2008 - 2011 (257K)
Our diversity policy sets out how we are meeting our legal duties
for equalities and aims to show this part of the way we work as an
organisation. The Single Equality Scheme or SES covers the six
Equalities strands as recognised in law and sets out an action plan
for the Council in order to ensure that they are being met.
More information about the new Disability Equality Duty is
available from the Disability Rights
Commission.
In order to help inform the new scheme we conducted an audit of
services and accessibility that we provide specifically for people
with disabilities. We also carried out a wide range of
consultation to inform the SES.
