Inclusive Choice Consultancy

These Acts of parliament all had an effect on the rights of disabled people. Click on the title to view the full text of the act.

Disability Discrimination Act (1995) [DDA]
This was introduced in 1996, and was implemented in stages to allow organisations to adapt to the new law. The final stage implementations should have been in place by October 2004, and it now applies to all service providers.

The act states that disabled people should have equal rights to goods and services, regardless of whether they are clients or staff.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001) [SENDA]
This amended the DDA to cover all aspects of education, from nursery to university.

Education Act (1996)
This set a framework for the inclusion of children with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools.

Learning and Skills Act (2000)
This made changes in the funding and administration of further education, and of work-based learning (or apprenticeships) for young people, within England and Wales.

Disability related changes included setting up the Learning and Skills Council, and empowering it with responsibility for equal opportunities and the needs of people with learning difficulties.