PROMOTING AWARENESS OF DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT (DDA) IN THE WORKPLACE

Back to all Motions

Conference
2008 National Disabled Members' Conference
Date
2 July 2008
Decision
Carried as Amended

In recent years disabled people have benefited from changes in law, which has meant – in some instances – that employment has been easier to obtain and maintain, because of the requirement to make reasonable adjustments.

However, we are concerned that due to a lack of appropriate training information and support, the Disability Discrimination Act, the Workplace Code of Practice and their benefits are not widely and equitably implemented by some lay branch stewards/lay branch officers.

For example, disabled members may be advised that only reasonable adjustment is for the employer to use redeployment, capability, redundancy or retirement on the ground of ill-health, as alternatives to maintaining them in their work role and making the appropriate reasonable adjustments.

Conference therefore instructs the National Disabled members’ Committee (NDMC) to liaise with the National Executive Council (NEC) and appropriate lay bodies to:

a)consolidate the previously successful “Beyond the Barriers” campaign and its highlighting of the recent benefits for disabled people in employment

b) increase understanding of the Disability Discrimination Act, the Workplace Code of Practice and their benefits by providing a robust and substantive branch based training and information programme which raises the level of understanding of the DDA relating to disabled people and employment for lay activists and members.

c) Encourage and raise the awareness of branches of the importance of adequately informing and supporting disabled LGBT people and other disabled members, who may be particularly isolated in the workplace, of the relevance of the DDA Act so as to enhance protection and knowledge of workplace rights

Conference also instructs the NDMC to report back on progress made to Disabled Members Conference 2009.