U.K. Disability Rights Commission Critiques Government Plans to Reduce Workplace Discrimination
Government plans for implementing new European Union (EU) anti-discrimination laws don't fully address the disability rights agenda, stated the United Kingdom Disability Rights Commission (DRC) in a press release of 13 December 2001.
Today the government will start consulting relevant groups on the implementation of the EU Anti-Discrimination Directive, which will protect disabled people, gay people, women, older people, ethnic and religious minorities in the work place.
DRC Chairman, Bert Massie CBE, comments:
"It is disappointing that the Government is still unable to confirm when it will extend the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995 to all forms of public transport or that it will introduce a positive duty on public bodies actively to promote equal opportunities for disabled people. "However, the DRC thoroughly welcomes the fact that this new EU Directive will mean that all employers, apart from the armed forces, will come under the DDA by 2004 - including those smaller employers with 15 or less staff who are currently exempt."
The EU Anti-Discrimination Directive covers equality issues across the board - disability, sexual orientation and religion - as would the U.K. Government's proposed single Equality Commission. But the DRC is unsure if a single Commission could tackle the discrimination and disadvantage that disabled people have faced for so long.
In particular, any new arrangements will need to ensure:
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no weakening in the influence of disabled people on the decisions that affect their rights and opportunities;
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no reduction in the resources available to tackle disability and the other forms of discrimination;
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legislation to ensure in full the same level of protection on grounds of sexual orientation, religion and belief as currently applies with respect to gender, race and disability (including protection against discrimination in access to goods, services and facilities as well as in employment)."
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is an independent body set up by an Act of Parliament in April 2000 to enforce the rights of disabled people.
The DRC has offices in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff. It employs around 150 staff and has 15 Commissioners, 10 of whom are disabled.
For further information, contact the DRC press office
Melissa McClements - 0207 211 4363 4363 or on the web: www.drc-gb.org
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