Disability equality code of practice leaves no room for excuses

Public sector employers have “no excuses” for ignoring the new code of practice on promoting disability equality, the government has warned.

The Duty to Promote Disability Equality requires public sector employers to produce a disability equality scheme to outline their policies, practices and procedures on disabled people.

Anne MacGuire, minister for disabled people, said public authorities now had the opportunity to plan ahead before the duty comes into force in December 2006.

“There is no excuse for not understanding what you have to do,” MacGuire told delegates at a Disability Rights Commission (DRC) reception this week to mark the publication of the code.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

Email(Required)

OptOut

From time to time, we will send you emails about selected products, events and services from Personnel Today and OHW+ - but you can choose to opt-out at any time. If you do not wish to receive these emails, please tick this box.

Phone

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ

DRC chairman Bert Massie urged public sector employers to be proactive in instigating the policy.

“Public authorities must involve disabled people and take disability policies beyond the brief,” he said. “Take the code home with you, read it, memorise it and then make sure every public authority knows it.”