Ensuring ‘buy in’ from CEO’s and senior public sector managers to implement the Disability Equality Duty (DED) will be the aim of a campaign in the New Year, the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) announced today.

Using the publication of its Code of Practice,* aimed at helping organisations understand the new law, the DRC also revealed results of a recent poll showing that low levels of understanding among senior managers could make all the difference between the DED’s successful implementation or failure.

The DED places a duty on the public sector to actively promote disability equality, similar to the duty to promote race equality under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act. In addition, public sector bodies dubbed with ‘specific duties’ will be required to publish a Disability Equality Scheme setting out how they intend to eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equality of opportunity. Crucially, organisations with specific duties - which include public bodies from local councils to government departments and from universities to hospitals - must involve disabled people in drawing up their schemes.

But a DRC survey among CEO’s and public sector managers revealed that:

• Senior public sector managers had low levels of interest in the DED and, unlike the race equality duty, lacked the personal commitment to see it through;
• Senior managers were transferring their responsibility to take the lead in implementing the new duties to HR Directors and equalities officers;
• There was evidence of marked complacency on the impact of the DED on employment practices and workplace issues.

Speaking today on the publication of the Code of Practice Bert Massie, DRC Chairman said:

“Most public bodies must have their Disability Equality Schemes in place by December 2006 and this means they need to start involving disabled people in both design and implementation right now. Public sector organisations have grasped the message about better building access for disabled people. However, they need to understand that the duty is more wide ranging than this.”

Mr Massie continued:

“The duty is all about ensuring that in both their policies and practices, public sector bodies are meeting the needs of disabled people as employees and service users. The duty is not ancillary to, but at the heart of the leadership role that CEO’s and senior managers have to undertake to improve public services.

“I want public sector managers to embrace the duty and take a personal lead in implementing it. Our campaign will arm them with the tools they need to critically examine the readiness of their organisation to meet the challenge that the new duty will pose. Chief Executive Officers who don’t know the answer to these questions - what is the duty and how is your organisation planning to meet it? - should listen up.”