Promoting disability equality
The duty to promote disability equality
The duty to promote disability equality came into effect in December 2006. The emphsis of the new duty is on the active promotion of disability equality by involving disabled people, developing a disability equality scheme and making a regular assesmsent of impact of policies and activities.
Timescales for having a disability equality scheme in place are:
- Local authorities - 4 December 2006
- Secondary schools in England- 4 December 2006
- Primary schools in England - 3 December 2007
- Primary and secondary special schools in England - 3 December 2007
A wide range of resouces is available to help local authorities and schools in the implementation of the new duty.
- Disability Rights Commission - Doing the Duty
- London Regional Partnership briefing paper for local authority Children’s Services about compliance with with the new duties.
- DCSF Teachernet site
Accessibility Planning Project and Reasonable Adjustments Project resources
Also available on the Teachernet website is extensive set of resource materials developed through the Accessibility Planning Project and Reasonable Adjustments Project.
These materials exemplify accessibility planning and reasonable adjustments and provide "toolkit" materials to support schools in planning and implementing actions to support disabled children and young people.