How am I protected against disability discrimination?

The Equality Act 2010 (which applies in England, Wales and Scotland) prohibits employers from disability discrimination. This includes: treating workers less favourably than others because of a disability (direct discrimination); applying a policy or practice at work that is harder for a disabled person to comply with than it would be for a non-disabled person (indirect discrimination); and treating someone less favourable in consequence of their disability (discrimination arising from disability). Direct discrimination includes harassment and victimisation (retaliation for having raised a complaint of discrimination).  

The Equality Act 2010 also places a duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments to a disabled worker’s workplace or working practices to remove any substantial disadvantage they face because of their disability. 

The Equality Act 2010 does not apply in Northern Ireland, which is covered instead by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and other Orders. These cover direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and the duty to make reasonable adjustments but there is no equivalent to “discrimination arising from disability”).