Have your say on disability discrimination

Tuesday 05 September 2017

The Minister for Social Security, Deputy Susie Pinel, is opening a public consultation on her proposed law against disability discrimination.

The proposed law will give individuals the right to take a complaint to the Employment and Discrimination Tribunal when they believe they have experienced discrimination.

It will also cover discrimination experienced in recruitment, employment, education, premises, clubs and associations, voluntary work and the provision of goods and services.

This news follows the recent publication of the Disability Strategy for Jersey, which aims to ensure that, “...people living with a disability enjoy a good quality of life."

Pictured: A graph from the Jersey Disability Strategy show that, on average, disabled islanders feel less satisfied, happy and worthwhile than non-disabled islanders as well as having higher levels of anxiety.

Commenting on the importance of such a law, Deputy Pinel said: “Around 14,000 people in Jersey are disabled and two thirds of all households in Jersey are estimated to include at least one person with a functional impairment. With an ageing population, these numbers are expected to increase in the future and so it is important that we put this legislation in place as soon as possible to improve the position for people with disabilities in Jersey.”

Deputy Pinel said she is welcoming comments on the proposed scope of the law and the issues raised in the consultation paper such as the practicality of making premises accessible to disabled individuals: “The most challenging barrier is likely to be the physical features of premises. To ensure that disabled people are not at a disadvantage, many adjustments to premises will be possible at minimal cost, such as wheelchair ramps and hand rails."

“However, altering premises is likely to be problematic in some cases, perhaps due to the size or location of the premises. The employer or business will have the opportunity to explain why it is not reasonable to make adjustments in the case of their particular premises.

Pictured: Minister for Social Security, Deputy Susie Pinel is welcoming the public's views on this draft legislation in order to "improve the position for people with disabilities in Jersey".

“The regulations are expected to come into force on 1 September 2018. We suggest that the requirement to make reasonable adjustments to premises should apply 2 years later - from 1 September 2020 - and we would like to hear people’s views on that time frame.”

The consultation documents, including an online survey and large print versions, are available here. People who have any access or communication needs are welcome to contact the Department for assistance.

Public meetings will be held on 24 October and 30 October at St Pauls Centre which is accessible and has hearing loop facilities. Places can be booked on the Eventbrite website or by contacting the Department.

Pictured: The five priorities for ensuring the quality of life for disabled islanders as identified by the Disability Strategy published in May of this year.