Question reference: S5W-22595
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 9 April 2019
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Current status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 30 April 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement the reasonable adjustment duty, described in the Equality Act 2010, for those with invisible disabilities who cannot tolerate loud music in shops and other public spaces, to protect them from unlawful discrimination.
Answer
The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits both direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics, including disability.
Enforcement and compliance of the Equality Act 2010 are matters for the courts and for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission, which is linked below, is a useful source of information on various issues including what individuals rights are regarding equality if they are using the services of a business, or buying goods or using facilities provided by a business. The guidance contains a range of options which individuals may wish to consider along with a list of organisations who can provide you with further information and advice.
https://equalityhumanrights.com/en
The Scottish Government strongly encourages businesses, retailers and councils to involve disabled people, and for organisations to consider how they can improve accessibility and inclusion for all their customers.