Equality and rights policy


Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 was designed to provide a single framework for addressing discrimination and promoting equality. The Act consolidated existing equality laws and merged 9 pieces of legislation to provide protection from unfair treatment of people on the basis of the following protected characteristics:

  • Age
  • Disability
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage and civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race
  • Religion and belief
  • Sex
  • Sexual orientation

The Act applies to a wide range of circumstances including employment, education, the provision of goods and services, and transport and facilities.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission provide useful information about the Act, including guidance and codes of practice for different sectors.

 

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

This Convention underlines the rights of disabled people across all domains of life and provides a framework for making the rights enshrined in international human rights law a reality for disabled people. All of the countries in the UK have ratified this convention and are therefore required to put in place plans to actively promote these rights within their own jurisdictions.

The Scottish Government has recently consulted on their draft delivery plan for Scotland.