A joint message from the National Disability Team (NDT) and The Equality
Challenge Unit (ECU)

Apologies for cross posting: do please pass on to relevant colleagues in
your institution.

Dear colleagues,

The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) Disability Equality Duty team have
asked us to help them. They are keen to collect some examples of initial
activity within a range of public bodies round the incoming disability
equality duty.

The DRC are currently writing the final version of the Code of Practice on
the new duty and have asked both ECU and the NDT to approach HEIs on their
behalf. They want the final version of the Code of Practice to include not
just examples from local authorities but some examples from post 16
education organisations.

We know that many institutions may only be at the very beginning of
drawing up plans to tackle the new duty, but we also know that some
institutions have been developing some interesting responses to the duty.
If your institution is one of these who has taken some action already
round the incoming duty, no matter how modest or small scale, we would be
keen to hear of it so that we can then pass that information on to the
DRC.

We will not pass on the name of the institution, unless you expressly wish
us to.

ECU and NDT are continuing their developmental work on the new duty with a
small number of HEIs; co-learning with them what is actually involved in
implementing the duty. We plan to disseminate the experiences and mutual
learning of this small group in some form round the turn of the year when
the final Code of Practice is published. Our intention is that our
guidance will be grounded in real understanding of what it is like to
implement the new duty at the sharp end. More on that as our work develops.

Meantime, we look forward to hearing from you about activity relating to
the new duty in your institution. A short email either to the list, to the
ECU disability team at [log in to unmask] or to the NDT at
[log in to unmask] is fine. What you tell us will not just help the DRC
but will help us build a more comprehensive picture of who is doing what
in the sector.

Thank you in advance for your input.