Disability Discrimination Act

Disability Discrimination Act and how it affects playgrounds

The DDA (Disability Discrimination Act) process started in 1995, with the general aim, to enable those with all kinds of disability (not just those in wheelchairs) the same access to play equipment as those without disabilities.

In its simplest form, the Act makes it unlawful for a service provider to discriminate against a person who has a disability, by refusing to provide (or by deliberately not providing) any service, which it provides (or is prepared to provide) to members of the public. The Act emphasises the importance of providing for people of different disabilities, not just those in wheelchairs.

In order to provide a framework and a practical way forward, initial playground audits are being conducted by a professional body with the objective of examining each play area on its own merits. As a result of this, an initial action plan to meet DDA requirement will be created, which will allow the Parish Council to take reasonable steps to enable (or make it easier) for disabled persons to use the play area. The aim of the action plan is to identify, where totally shared play experience is not always possible, then at least opportunities can be created for similar and, if possible, qualitatively equal experience which can benefit all children.