The public sector equality duty is a duty on public authorities to consider or think about how their policies or decisions affect people who are protected under the Equality Act. Private organisations and individuals don’t have to comply with the duty.
Is your child disabled under the Equality Act?
The Equality Act says that a person has a disability if they have:
“a physical or mental impairment. The impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”
- substantial means being more than minor or trivial.
- long-term means lasting, or likely to last, for at least 12 months.
- a physical or mental impairment includes:
- Learning difficulties
- Mental health conditions
- Hearing impairment
- Visual impairment
- Medical conditions and hidden impairments such as dyslexia
- Developmental coordination disorder
- Autism
- Speech, language and communication difficulties
More information can be found in the "Supporting pupils with a disability in school" section of the 'Physical Disability or Medical Needs page, about:
- what schools must do to support pupils who have a disability
- what to do if you think your child’s needs are not being met by their school