Dear colleagues
With apologies for cross-posting
Just to let you know that the version of the Disability Equality Duty Code of Practice that was mounted on the DRC website last week is NOT the final version but is the version that has been laid before Parliament. Parliament now has up to December 5th to approve or otherwise amend this version and only once that process has been complete will the DRC publish the final version of the Code. It is anticipated that the final version will be published on December 19th.
Meantime, do have a look at ECU's latest Briefing Paper 3 on Collecting and Improving Baseline Data and the Importance of Involving Disabled People which you can read at www.ecu.ac.uk/publications/pamphlets We have made this available only in electronic format as we will want to update it once the final Code is available. As that will not now be until December 19 a related publication, our own intended short Update (on the final Code and the differences between it and the draft Code), will not be ready until early January now.
We continue to work alongside a small number of HEIs who are actively responding to the new duty and we continue to use that work to inform our guidance. But as well as this 'co-learning' work, we are always really pleased to hear from any HEI which is progressing aspects of this new duty. It is heartening to see just from a simple google search that quite a few HEIs with whom we are not yet in active touch have already begun to take action round the duty...so do keep us as up to date as you have the time to. We do realise how busy everyone is.
With good wishes
Liz Sutherland and Robyn Challis
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