The Equality Act 2010 brought together and replaced previous discrimination laws, including the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The Equality Act prohibits discrimination against disabled people, as well as discrimination on the grounds of age, gender, gender-reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. It applies to Great Britain only; the DDA remains the law in Northern Ireland. The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland website has information on the DDA (see Box N.1).

The Equality Act treats disability discrimination in distinctive ways, in particular by requiring ‘reasonable adjustments’. The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against anyone who has, or has had, a disability; it is unlawful to discriminate in connection with employment, education, the provision of services, the exercise of public functions, and premises.