Legislation

The key legislation relating to access to services and employment for all disabled people is the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). This makes it unlawful to discriminate against disabled people in employment or in access to goods and services, whether they are paid for or free of charge. See the left hand navigation bar for further information on the DDA.

Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 (England and Wales)

The Act requires local authorities with library responsibilities to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” service for all people who live, work or study in their area. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England provides policy guidance and support to local authorities in relation to their library responsibilities.

Public Libraries (Scotland) Act 1955

The Act and subsequent initiatives, most recently the Public Library Quality Improvement Matrix (PLQIM), aim to ensure that all people have access to public library services that meet their educational and leisure needs. The Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) is the independent advisory body to the Scottish Government on library matters, including access and equity in relation to library services.

Copyright legislation

The DDA is subsidiary to the laws relating to copyright. In other words, although it might be possible to meet the needs of someone with sight loss by replicating a standard print book in another format (say, by an enlarged photocopy or scanning the whole text to a computer file) this could infringe copyright and intellectual property legislation. The Copyright (Visually Impaired Person Act) 2002 provides for the creation of accessible copies under certain conditions. It is important that you understand your responsibilities under this regulation, as well as your right to create accessible versions.