Inquiry into Enforcing the Equality Act

The Equality Act 2010 is relevant to everyone in the UK, it is important that individuals are aware of their rights under the Act and how these can be enforced. It protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society. One of the nine protected characteristics under the Act is disability, and visual impairment falls into this category.

Sight Loss Councils feel that the Equality Act 2010 is an important piece of legislation and certainly a step up from the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Many of our members have benefited from the Equality Act due to schemes such as Access to Work, which means they are more supported in the workplace and independent in their community. However, despite this, we feel the Equality Act still has a way to go. We have found that the Act isn’t administered across all organisations, possibly because the consequences of not adhering to it aren’t severe enough.

We feel more should be done by the Government, working in collaboration with sight loss organisations, to highlight the needs of blind and partially sighted people ensuring that companies understand the importance of making accessibility a priority for all.

Download and read our Response to the Inquiry to find out more about our recommendations.

Publication date: 15 October 2020