· Disability Rights Commission

The Government introduced the Disability Rights Commission Bill in the House of Lords on 3 December 1998 and in the House of Commons on 24 March 1999. The Bill received Royal Assent in July 1999.
The Commission opened for business on 25 April 2000.

What is the Disability Rights Commission?
The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) is an independent body set up by the Government to help secure civil rights for disabled people. Its statutory duties are:

1. To work to eliminate discrimination against disabled people.
2. To promote equal opportunities for disabled people.
3. To encourage good practice in the treatment of disabled people.
4. To advise the Government on the working of disability legislation (the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 and the Disability Rights Commission Act 1999).

Functions of the DRC
In order to carry out these duties, the DRC has a number of specific functions:

· Assistance
Assisting disabled people to secure their rights, and arranging for legal advice and help where appropriate;

· Information and advice
Providing information and advice to disabled people and to employers and service providers about their rights and duties under the DDA;

· Codes of Practice
Preparing and reviewing statutory codes of practice, which provide practical guidance to employers and service providers on meeting their obligations under the DDA and on good practice;

· Conciliation
Providing an independent conciliation service in the event of disputes between disabled people and service providers over access to goods and services, and monitoring the performance of the conciliation service;

· Investigation
Undertaking formal investigations into how disabled people are treated in a particular organisation or sector, and into unlawful acts by particular organisations;

· Research
Carrying out research to inform discussion and policy-making and to ascertain how well the law affecting the rights of disabled people is working.

How to contact the commission
The DRC Helpline provides information and advice about all aspects of the DDA, as well as signposting specialist organisations where necessary. In addition, it can offer good practice advice on the employment of disabled people.

Telephone 08457 622 633
Fax 08457 778 878
Textphone 08457 622 644

Or write to:
DRC Helpline
Freepost MID 02164
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 9BR

Or e-mail us at:
ddahelp@stra.sitel.co.uk

This information has been taken from the Disability Rights Commission website which can be found at www.drc-gb.org/drc