Thirty years of Disability Discrimination law
- kevinndaws
- Jun 23
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 24
This year Unison brought a motion to the TUC Disabled Workers Conference to mark thirty years since the disability discrimination act became law. The motion was moved on their behalf by Lady Omolola Oyewusi. Below we reproduce her stirring speech to the Conference
Thirty years ago the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 gave disabled people legally enforceable rights for the first time in employment, education and when using services.
Since then we have achieved a lot, but the desire for disability equality is still a distant dream. While the DDA 2005 and the Equality Act 2010 strengthened our rights, these were eroded by 14 years of Tory government.
Labour’s election victory should be a chance to stop the erosion and improve
our rights, but this will only happen if we hold the government to
account.
Here is what Lady Omolola Oyewusi shared with Conference:
This November marks thirty years since the disability discrimination act became law.
In 1993, NALGO, COHSE and NUPE merged to form a new public services union - UNISON.
Over thirty years ago there was a NALGO social club that members could only reach down a flight of stairs.
So, being trade unionists – they protested!
But this wasn’t just a NALGO problem – shops, restaurants, pubs, the town hall – anything and everything could be completely inaccessible to you.
You could be called a fire hazard.
You could be ignored – invisible.
And there was nothing you could do about it – except protest.
And we did protest, Conference.
Again and again and again.
Civil rights, not charity, we said.
Nothing about us, without us we said.
Thirty years on we still say these things, conference.
We said it last year in Liverpool – we have said it this year in Bournemouth - and we will say it again next year.
And every year until pro-worker means pro-disabled people.
The Disability Discrimination Act gave us the right to request reasonable adjustments at work.
It gave us the right to demand accessible public services.
To demand accessible transport.
But the legislation did not go far enough.
The Equality Act came along in 2010. But the legislation did not go far enough.
This is why UNISON co-founded the Disability Employment Charter.
The charter asks for disability pay gap monitoring – for decisions on reasonable adjustments within fourteen days – and more.
Over two hundred and fifty organisations have signed up to the charter –
including many of the unions in this room.
But there are hundreds more employers that we all work with – day in, day out,
who have not signed it.
Several of the charter asks were included in Labour’s manifesto – but the government have not gone far enough.
In fact, they are going in the opposite direction.
No minister for disabled people
Threatening to cut PIP
Prioritising warfare over welfare
Declaring mental health conditions as “over diagnosed”.
The minister for social security and disability has previously committed to working with disabled people. We heard the minster yesterday.
But Conference, we want real action!
Not empty words
No freezes. No cuts
We want what the charter asks for.
Employers agree with us.
The public agree with us.
The government agreed with us.
What has changed, conference?
It is hard being in opposition – it is harder being in power.
But governments take hard decisions every day – we understand that.
But wrong decisions – unfair decisions – we don’t understand that.
And we can’t accept that.
The twenty-two billion pounds spent on disability benefits generates
forty billion pounds for the economy.
Their question is how to get disabled people into work – I will tell you the answer.
Reasonable adjustments
Equal pay
Everything we should have had for the past thirty years.
We welcome the Employment Rights Bill.
But we welcomed the disability discrimination act – and we welcomed the equality act
But, as we have heard, conference employers do not always make us feel welcome.
Better rights for disabled people – for disabled workers.
These are offered on paper – but often not in reality.
That must change.
This government listens to business.
This government says it listens to workers.
Actions speak louder than words.
If the government drag their feet on this – employers cannot.
No more easy options.
No more hiding behind “it’s not affordable”.
Nothing about us, without us.
In the 1920s, we marched.
In the 1970s, we held rallies.
In the 1980s, we blocked the roads.
In the 1990s, we made progress.
But progress has stalled.
No more.
Take the charter back to your workplaces.
To your workforce director.
To your employee relations director.
To your chief executive.
And get them to sign it.
It is good for the economy – it is good for disabled people.
Everybody wins
Thirty years ago we won for disabled people.
Together, we can win again for disabled people.
Please support the motion – I move.
The Unison motion called on the TUC Disabled Workers Committee to use the 30th anniversary of the DDA to campaign for the government to:
appoint a dedicated Minister for Disabled People;
implement the Disability Employment Charter;
reinstate disability discrimination questionnaires;
review the Disability Unit’s Regional Stakeholder Network to improve inclusivity and trade union involvement
In her speech Lady Omolola Oyewusi referred to the Disability Employment Charter which you can find more about by following this link https://www.disabilityemploymentcharter.org/
In the words of Omolola "Take the charter back to your workplaces.
To your workforce director.
To your employee relations director.
To your chief executive.
And get them to sign it."
Resources
Disability Employment Charter article published on the All4Inclusion website
Below is the Easy read version of 30 Years of Disability Rights produced by Carinder Malhi
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