UK Disability Rights Commission Works with Employers
On Wednesday 25 April 2001 the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) celebrates its first year. The DRC works with disabled people, employers and service providers to achieve practical solutions that work for everyone.
In its first 12 months the DRC has:
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Taken more than 60,000 calls through its helpline.
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Helped 2,150 people through legal advice and assistance.
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Taken over 40 ground-breaking legal cases.
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Worked closely with businesses to help them develop flexible working practices to facilitate the employment of disabled staff.
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Set up an independent conciliation service for disabled people who find themselves discriminated against by businesses and services.
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Pressurised the Government to include all employers under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. This comes into effect in 2004.
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Created the Action Speaks Louder than Words initiative encouraging business, organisations and individuals to ensure disabled people can participate fully in all aspects of society.
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Released the Talk video - which dramatically shows how the world might appear to non-disabled people if they were in the minority.
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Run a national poster campaign to increase disabled people's awareness of their rights.
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Produced a set of free leaflets on disability rights.
In the coming year the DRC plans to:
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Launch a campaign to ensure that disabled people have access to polling stations at the General Election.
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Help bring into force significant new rights for disabled pupils and students to a mainstream education.
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Publish a guide to help businesses and services make their premises fully accessible by 2004.
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Launch Best Practice Bursaries to help business and employers become disability friendly.
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Run seminars on the ethical and social questions around genetics - and how these might impact on disabled people.
Bert Massie, Chairman of the DRC, says:
'Our first year has clearly put disability rights on the public agenda. The DRC has provided information to more than 60,000 callers and helped over 2,000 disabled people resolve their problems - often without recourse to law. Our ground-breaking legal cases have helped push back the boundaries that have prevented disabled people from participating as equals in society. The DRC has created good links with the business community to help them understand and comply with the law and find creative and flexible ways of getting disabled people into their workforce.'
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