The Equality Act 2010

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is legislation that protects the rights and prohibits unlawful discrimination against people with disabilities in a range of circumstances.



The Equality Act 2010 was introduced in October 2010. The Equality Act is a legislation that combined several pre-existing laws, including the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 applies for discrimination that occurred before 1 October 2010. The Equality Act applies for discriminatory acts that took place after this time.

Disability under the Equality Act can be defined as “a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on a person’s ability to do normal day-to-day activities". There are several different types of mental health conditions which can lead to a disability, including schizophrenia.

• ‘Substantial’ can be defined as more than minor or trivial - eg it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed
• ‘Long-term’ is defined as 12 months or more.

The Equality Act provides protection against discrimination covering:
• Employment and occupation
• Education
• The provision of goods, facilities, services and the exercise of public functions
• Managing, buying or renting of land or property.

Further information can be accessed via the following links:

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