DDB 21 Changing Faces
Submission by Changing
Faces to the Joint Committee on the Draft Disability Discrimination
Bill
Dear Clerk,
I've been pleased to have a chance
to examine the Disability Discrimination Bill (Cm 6058 Parts 1-3).
I would like to make the following comments:
P16 - Part 5A Public
Authorities - 49A General Duty
Changing Faces
is constantly made aware of stories of teenagers and adults living
in all sorts of places around the country who are too frightened
to go out of their homes because of the harassment meted out to
them by other people in their estates and localities. We
believe that it is vital that there should be a clear definition
of harassment in this section of the Bill. It might be useful
to quote disfigurement as a case example when codes of practice
are produced on this point.
P22.12 Meaning of Disability
Given that the Government's
intention is to clarify the definition of disability in the DDA
1995, we believe at Changing Faces that it would be helpful
for a further clarification of the meaning of "severe disfigurement".
It is certainly the case that many people who have disfigurements
are unclear about what protection they have under the Act. It
would therefore be very helpful if this Bill were to be an opportunity
for this area, this issue, to be further refined.
We seek further clarification
about the paragraph 2 concerning the regulations that may prevent
somebody who has cancer being covered under the Bill. This needs
to be clearly specified in order for the Bill to be affective.
Overall, we would like to see the Bill considerably tightened
and thereby provide greater security and protection for disabled
people and less room for interpretation and confusion in the courts
and in public in general. This is particularly true in the
case of harassment.
I would be happy to provide
further information or evidence on any of these points - please
do contact me if this would be helpful...
With good wishes,
James
James Partridge OBE, DSc
Chief Executive, Changing Faces
1 & 2 Junction Mews, London W2 1PN, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 207 706 4232, Mobile: +44 (0) 778 550 8402
Registered Charity 1011222, www.changingfaces.co.uk`
Academic: Visiting Fellow, Centre for Appearance Research, University
of the West of England, Bristol, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 117 344 4356, james3.partridge@uwe.ac.uk
www.science.uwe.ac.uk/car
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