Gateways guidance: 5.2 The Public Sector Equality Duty

The Equality Act 2010 places a single Public Sector Equality Duty on public authorities to ensure equality, including for disabled people. This replaces the Disability Equality Duty (DED) which was originally in place through the DDA. The new single Public Sector Equality Duty is expected to come into force in April 2011.  Until this time medical schools are advised to comply with DED.

Organisations that deliver post-16 education are classed as public authorities and must involve disabled people and act proactively to eliminate disability discrimination. The DED requires all public authorities to do what they can to:

• promote equality of opportunity
• eliminate unlawful disability discrimination
• eliminate disability related harassment
• promote positive attitudes towards disabled people
• encourage participation by disabled people in public life
• take account of people’s disabilities even if this means treating them more favourably than others.
  

The single Public Sector Equality Duty requires all public sector bodies to do what they can to:

• advance equality of opportunity including removing or minimising disadvantage, taking steps to meet the needs of people with disabilities and encouraging people with disabilities to participate in public life
• foster good relations between disabled and non-disabled people
• eliminate discrimination, victimisation and harassment and any other conduct that is prohibited
• take account of people’s disabilities even if this means treating them more favourably.