Disability and Gender Equality

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 places a new duty on everyone working in the public sector to demonstrate what they are doing to promote equality for disabled people.  This is then set out in a Disability Equality Scheme.

The aim of the scheme is to:

• Promote positive attitudes towards Disabled Persons
• Encourage participation by Disabled Persons in public life
• Promote equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people
• Eliminate disability related harassment
• Eliminate unlawful discrimination
• Take steps to meet disabled peoples needs

As part of the scheme we have consulted with people with disabilities to find out what matters to them and what more we can do to promote disability equality.

The scheme forms a distinct strand of our Diversity policy 'Reaching out to everyone  (78.45 KB)' that was agreed and published in 2005 and will be updated in 2008.  Our diversity policy sets out how we are meeting our legal duties for equalities and aims to show how this part of the way we work as an organisation.

More information about the new Disability Equality Duty is available from the Disability Rights Commission.  Information about the Gender Equality Duty is available from the Equal Opportunities Commission.

In order to help inform the new scheme we conducted an audit of services  (36.12 KB) that we provide specifically for people with disabilities.  This forms a part of our Disability and Gender Equality Scheme  (55.62 KB).   We carried out a wide range of consultation to inform the scheme.Some of this is contained within the main document and an additional consultation summary  (29.44 KB) paper is also available.  

For more information contact:

Robin Mace
Community Outreach Officer
Telephone: 01386 565517 - between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Email: robin.mace@wychavon.gov.uk