Book
review by Ian Foster
Disability
Discrimination: Law and Practice 4th edition
Brian Doyle
Publisher: Jordans, January 2003
Pages: 352
Price: £45 incl UK mainland p+p
ISBN: 085308 815 2
This
is essentially a legal textbook written by a lawyer, and it can therefore be
relied on to be accurate and comprehensive. The book covers all aspects of
disability law, as it is emerging. In particular, it covers the prospective
implementation of Part 3 of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) which will
place duties on providers from 2004, the Special Education Needs and Disability
Act 2001, the likely reforms to the DDA and the Disability Rights Commission
Act 1999 following the Government’s response to the Disability Rights Task
Force report. It is completely up-to-date and a fifth edition is planned for
2004.
As
well as the expected coverage of disability in employment terms, there are
extensive sections on the provision of services, in particular education,
public transport and property. The book is carefully cross-referenced and
supplemented by tables and appendices (including the whole of the DDA 1995).
It
is clearly – though somewhat stodgily – written, and at 352 pages, is of
general relevance to the HR practitioner and will be particularly useful for
equalities and legal specialists. The changing nature of legislation means it
is more likely to occupy a library shelf than one in the office.
It
could only be improved on by a more searching look at service provision in
related areas (such as social and medical care) in an attempt to provide some
pointers and guidelines. However, this is not its aim, and it covers the
strictly legalistic areas with clarity and depth.
Useful
* * * *
Well
written * * *
Practical
* * * * *
Inspirational
*
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Value
for money * * *
Ian
Foster is personnel manager at Hampshire County Council
