What is the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)?
Please note that the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) now only applies in Northern Ireland.
England, Scotland and Wales are covered by the Equality Act 2010. For further information on the Equality Act see What is the Equality Act?
Northern Ireland
Anyone with a disability is protected by the DDA. The DDA defines disability as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This includes significant sight loss.
The types of discrimination it can help you challenge are:
- direct discrimination (such as a ban on employing blind people)
- disability related discrimination (for example, a taxi driver refusing to take a blind passenger because they have a guide dog)
- failure by an organisation to make a reasonable adjustment to allow you access to goods, facilities and services
- victimisation
- harassment.
Guide Dogs and RNIB have produced a DDA toolkit which includes information about your rights under the Act, as well as details of the most effective way to challenge discrimination where you have been refused access to a service because you have a guide dog.
- Disability Discrimination Act – challenging discrimination toolkit (PDF)
- Disability Discrimination Act – challenging discrimination toolkit (Word)
Further information on the DDA and how it applies in Northern Ireland can be found on the NI DIrect webpage.
