Equality Laws to Include Protection for Parents and Carers and Friends

[amberlight]

There's an 'Equality Bill' going through Parliament at the moment which seeks to put together just one set of laws to cover all discrimination - disability, gender, race etc.

The disability bits of it are very interesting.

Until now, if you went into a shop or used any other service including UK online ones, and you saw someone with a disability being treated badly/your own child was being treated badly etc, and you tried to help, and you got harassed or thrown out for doing so, it was too bad. Now they're trying to strengthen the laws, so if you're trying to help someone with a disability, you're also protected by law from harassment.

And it makes it much clearer than any harassment or poor conduct or deliberate ignoring of anyone with a known disability by any service provider or their customers or member of the public is potentially illegal and may in the case of harassment or antagonism be a disability hate crime entitling the person to go to the police.

"The Equality Bill will ... prohibit direct discrimination and harassment based on association and perception in respect of race, sex, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief and age and in relation to both employment and areas beyond this, such as goods, facilities and services.

That should mean better rights for our children, if all goes well.