The Disability Equality Duty will have a major impact on the lives of disabled people and will radically shift the way public authorities deliver their services.
Public bodies - from the local library to the NHS - will have to consider what disabled people need when planning their services. This is a step-change away from individual disabled people having to complain about discrimination after an incident has taken place.
The DED will help public bodies become more efficient and save money because it involves providing services that disabled people need. Those who fail to meet their new legal duties risk facing us in court.
The Disability Equality Duty came into force on 4 December 2006.
This legal duty requires all public bodies to actively look at ways of ensuring that disabled people are treated equally. All of those covered by the specific duties must also have produced a Disability Equality Scheme, which they must now implement.
The information in this section explains what the Disability Equality Duty is, and what it means for the promotion of disability equality across the public sector.