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.

Data Protection Act (1998)
The Data Protection Act covers processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK. It protects people's right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data, and in practice provides a way for individuals to control information about themselves.

Care Standards Act (2000)
The CSA provides for the administration of a variety of care institutions, including children's homes, independent hospitals, nursing homes and residential care homes.

The CSA, which was enacted in April 2002, replaces the Registered Homes Act 1984 and parts of the Children Act 1989, which pertain to the care or the accommodation of children.

The aim of the legislation is to reform the law relating to the inspection and regulation of various care institutions.

Childcare Act (2006)
An Act to make provision about the powers and duties of local authorities and other bodies in England in relation to the improvement of the well-being of young children; to make provision about the powers and duties of local authorities in England and Wales in relation to the provision of childcare and the provision of information to parents and other persons; to make provision about the regulation and inspection of childcare provision in England; to amend Part 10A of the Children Act 1989 in relation to Wales; and for connected purposes.

Children, Schools and Families Act (2010)
The key sections for children and young people with disabilities are:

• Arising from the Lamb Inquiry’s recommendations, requires school inspectors to report explicitly on provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Also arising from the Lamb Inquiry’s recommendations, gives parents a new right to appeal if their child’s special educational needs statement is not amended at annual review.
• Requires local authorities to provide full-time education for children and young people who for medical, social or emotional reasons are not in school but in alternative provision.