Disability equality in England: A tale of two duties

Since 2023, I have been working for the University of Exeter as a researcher on a project called ‘Sensing Climate’ (opens new window).

Sensing Climate is a collaborative programme of interdisciplinary research, exploring opportunities for responses to the climate crisis to build fairer communities that consider the priorities, needs and ideas of disabled people

The project is analysing climate policies and their implications for disabled people, at international, national and local levels, with a focus on three case study cities: Bristol, Glasgow, and Dublin.

Our analysis so far suggests inconsistent – and at times negligible – consideration of the needs and priorities of disabled people across climate and related policies in England.

Taking the policy area of housing, for example, whilst Building Regulations have been amended to require higher standards of energy efficiency and thermal performance, we await appropriate accessibility and adaptability standards for new homes.

In May 2024, the ‘Disabled people in the housing sector (opens new window)’ parliamentary committee inquiry found “little evidence that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is treating disabled people’s needs as a priority in housing policy”.  

In a recent working paper (opens new window), I reflected on how this situation may have developed through shifts in equality legislation; from the passing of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in 1995 to the introduction of the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty in 2010.

The introduction of the DDA in 1995 and Disability Equality Duty (DED) in 2005 marked a period of progress in establishing a legal framework which saw disabled people increasingly reflected in policies that affected their lives. Public bodies were required to assess the impacts of policies and involve disabled people in the development of Disability Equality Schemes and action plans to deliver positive outcomes. Secretaries of State were also required to play a strategic role in driving progress across their policy sectors. However, this legal framework was dismantled by The Equality Act 2010, or more specifically, the Public Sector Equality Duty; a duty which at best requires public authorities to assess impact, but with no obligation to address any identified disadvantage or inequality.

With the loss of DED requirements, it is perhaps unsurprising that disabled people remain exposed to seemingly indifferent policy making, placing them at greater risk, both from the impacts of climate change and the very policies seeking to address them.

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This is the first in a series of Housing LIN guest blogs leading up to the 30th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act. The series will end in an extended HAPPI Hour webinar on Tuesday, 11 November 2025, where contributors will share expert insights and assess progress on disability, accessible housing, and the built environment.

Information about our next series of free HAPPI Hour sessions and how to sign up as a delegate will appear on our Forthcoming Events pages.