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What is the DDO?

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The DDO is short for the Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006. This Order updates the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). The DDA already protects people from discrimination on grounds of disability in many areas (eg, in work, education and the provision of goods, facilities and services). However, the DDO 2006 extends protection from discrimination to people and situations that were not previously covered.

If you have a disability yourself, are the parent or carer of someone with a disability, or support or advise people with disabilities, the new law may affect you as it provides new rights. If you are an employer or service provider who has to comply with disability discrimination law, the DDO may have implications for the way you treat disabled job applicants and employees, or customers.

The DDO makes changes to existing disability discrimination law in relation to the following:

  • Definition of disability
  • Private clubs
  • District councils
  • Landlords & premises
  • Public authorities
  • Disability equality duty
  • Questionnaire procedure
  • Discriminatory adverts
  • Group insurance
  • Police
  • Transport

A summary of all the changes made by the DDO 2006.