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Disability Discrimination Act 1995

If you are disabled, or have had a disability, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) makes it unlawful for you to be discriminated against in:

• employment
• access to goods, facilities and services
• the management, buying or renting of land or property
• education.

The DDA was passed in 1995 to introduce new measures aimed at ending the discrimination which many disabled people face in their everyday lives.

Under the DDA, discrimination occurs where:

• a disabled person is treated less favourably than someone else
• the treatment is for a reason relating to the person's disability
• the treatment cannot be justified.

In some situations, less favourable treatment may amount to "direct discrimination" and this cannot be justified.

Discrimination may also occur where:

• there is a failure to make a reasonable adjustment for a disabled person

There are also measures in the DDA covering harassment and victimisation.