Disabled people's rights in
everyday life
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Right to learn and get access to information
about our individual legal rights and freedoms
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Right to freedom of speech
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Right to vote
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Right to live the way each person wants
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Right to affordable housing
- ownership of property
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Right to paid jobs
- equal pay for equal work
- self-employment
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Right to education
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Right to relationships
- family
- friends
- marriage
parenting and having children
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Right to government information
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Right to be safe!
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Right to live above the poverty line
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Right to have better physical access and
services in the community
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Right to not be taken advantage of by anyone
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Right to our own opinions
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Right to be treated as an equal in society
without being labeled
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Right to medical information
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Right to have your personal information kept
private / "confidential"
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Right to share our stories
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Right to be respected as an individual
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Right to fair justice
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Right to lobby, protest and demonstrate about
our rights
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This article
will help you find out about your
rights as a disabled person in
different areas of life, including
in employment, health and education.
Access to shops, cafes and
everyday services
The Disability Discrimination Act
gives disabled people important
rights of access to everyday
services, including shops, cafes,
banks, cinemas and places of
worship.
Your rights in employment
It is unlawful for employers to
discriminate against disabled people
for a reason related to their
disability, in all aspects of
employment, unless this can be
justified.
Your rights in health
The Disability Discrimination Act
gives disabled people important
rights of access to health services
and social services, such as
doctors' surgeries, dental surgeries
and hospitals.
You also have a right to
information about healthcare and
social services in a format that is
accessible to you where it is
reasonable for the service provider
to provide it in that format.
Your rights in education
The Special Educational Needs and
Disability Act 2001 amended the
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)
to make it unlawful for education
providers to discriminate against
disabled pupils, students and adult
learners - and to make sure disabled
people are not disadvantaged in
comparison to people who are not
disabled.
Mental health and your rights
Many people with a mental health
condition do not think of themselves
as 'disabled' - but they have rights
under the Disability Discrimination
Act.
The Mental Health Act 1983 covers
the assessment, treatment and rights
of people with a mental health
condition.
The Mental Capacity Act aims to
protect people with learning
disabilities and mental health
conditions. It will be implemented
in 2007 and will provide clear
guidelines for carers and
professionals about who can take
decisions in which situations.
Your rights - motoring and
transport
Disabled people have important
rights of access in relation to
motoring, transport and travel
infrastructure (such as railway
stations and airports) under the
Disability Discrimination Act.
The Disability Discrimination Act
also means that you have a right to
information about transport
(timetables, for example) in a
format that is accessible to you
where it is reasonable for the
transport provider to provide it in
that format.