The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended) (DDA) affords important rights and imposes corresponding duties in respect of employment, the provision of goods and services and other public services such as education and transport. The law in this area is complex and constantly evolving and a clear guide is invaluable for those advising business and service providers or indeed for those of us teaching this area of law to our students.
This practical guide aims to be an invaluable reference in this area and I think it comes fairly close to achieving that ambition. The book is logically set out starting with a clear explanation of the scope of the DDA as well as the function and role of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights. Chapter 2 deals competently with the meaning of disability. Chapters 3‐9 deal with disability discrimination in different contexts such as employment (chapters 3 and 4) or education (chapter 7) and chapter 10 takes the book to its logical conclusion by discussing Liability and Remedies.
Each chapter is organised into paragraphs which are numbered for ease of reference. The subheadings also help navigate around the book and locate information quickly. A fairly user‐friendly index also helps in this regard.
I would recommend this book for a number of reasons. It is written in a clear accessible style and the structure is logical. It is easy to find the information you are looking for and where appropriate reference is made to additional materials such as Codes of Practice, case law or statutory material. The book provides sufficient context to make its content practically relevant as well as interesting. This approach means the text should be accessible to lawyers and non‐lawyers alike. However, there are some sections within the book where “legal speak” does take over and having a background in law or some form of legal training becomes a distinct advantage. There are paragraphs in most chapters which end up a little “statue heavy” citing a number of provisions with section numbers and subsections in two or three sentences. This makes the text quite hard to read in places especially when dipping in for specific information. I wonder if a simpler statement of the law without a focus on the exact provision (which could in any event come in a footnote) would aid clarity. The problem is less of an issue when reading a chapter or at least a section from the beginning as there is a logical structure which guides the reader through even the most technical sections.
As with all books detailing the law, especially in this area, the law moves faster than the authors and publishers ever could. There will be a need to update this material frequently but the author will be well aware of that given this book is now in its 6th edition.
I believe that this book is really useful for employment and/or equality lawyers, staff working in human resources or personnel‐related fields as well as those advising businesses and service providers. Personally, this book utilises a style and format that I am very comfortable with. I find its organisation intuitive and helpful, its content interesting, informative and accessible and perhaps most importantly, given that it aims to be a practical guide, I find this book a really useful signpost round the complexities of the law in this area.
