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Disabled People

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

The Disability Discrimination Act is a piece of legislation that promotes civil rights for disabled people and protects disabled people from discrimination. You can order a copy of the Act in a range of formats.

Disability rights in everyday life

This page is about the Disability Discrimination Act itself. There is separate information about how the Act affects your rights in different areas of life, including accessing and using the services of shops, cafes and banks.

The Disability Discrimination Act

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 aims to end the discrimination that many disabled people face. This Act has been significantly extended, including by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005. It now gives disabled people rights in the areas of:

  • employment
  • education
  • access to goods, facilities and services, including larger private clubs and land-based transport services
  • buying or renting land or property, including making it easier for disabled people to rent property and for tenants to make disability-related adaptations
  • functions of public bodies, for example issuing of licences

The Act requires public bodies to promote equality of opportunity for disabled people. It also allows the government to set minimum standards so that disabled people can use public transport easily.

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) closed on 28 September 2007, but the archived website is still available and has plenty of information, including a brief overview with the key points of the Act.

Copies of the Disability Discrimination Act

Both Acts are published on the website of the Office of Public Sector Information.

Print copy

Print versions of both Acts are published by The Stationery Office (TSO) and can be bought. The ISBN numbers are ISBN 0105450952 for the 1995 Act and ISBN 0105411051 for the 2005 Act.

Braille and large print versions

You can also order Braille and large print versions of the Act by phoning TSO on 0870 600 5522 or by emailing customer.service@tso.co.uk. They have the same ISBN as the standard print versions.

Easy Read version

You can order a free Easy Read version (ISBN 0117035998) by phoning TSO on 0870 600 5522 or by emailing them on customer.service@tso.co.uk.

British Sign Language (BSL) video

You may order a free BSL video version of the Act (ISBN 011703598X) on the TSO website, by phone on 0870 600 5522 or by emailing customer.service@tso.co.uk.

Audio cassette

A free audio cassette (ISBN 0117036005) guide to the Act is available to order on the TSO website, by phone on 0870 600 5522 or by emailing customer.service@tso.co.uk.

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