Disability Equality Scheme 

The Mid Suffolk District Council Disability Equality Scheme has been developed with the support of the community in the district. The scheme states our beliefs and responsibilities towards the disabled community in Mid Suffolk. It seeks to explore and improve the services and facilities that are available and accessible to disabled people. The scheme contains a three year action plan of how we intend to improve our services and facilities.

The Disability Discrimination Act amended in 2005 gives the District Council ‘general’ and ‘specific’ duties to promote disability equality.

The new general duty means that we must, in carrying out our functions, (what we do) have due regard to:

• Promoting equality of opportunity between disabled people and other people;
• Eliminating discrimination which is unlawful under the Act;
• Eliminating harassment of disabled people that is related to their disabilities;
• Promoting positive attitudes towards disabled people;
• Encouraging participation by disabled people in public life;
• Taking steps to take account of disabled people’s disabilities even where this involves treating disabled people more favourably than other people.

Under the specific duties most public authorities including the District Council have to produce a Disability Equality Scheme.

The scheme is available in large type, Braille and audio cassette. Please contact Mid Suffolk District Council on 01449 724851 for a copy of the scheme in an alternative format and we will arrange for this to be sent to you. Alternatively, you can download it by clicking on the link above. We are required to publish this document on our website.