Disability Conciliation Service
The Disability Conciliation Service (DCS) has been set up by the Disability Rights Commission to liaise between disabled people and service providers such as shops, banks, restaurants, sports centres, voluntary organisations, the NHS and local authorities. Parents of children with disabilities are also able to use the DCS on behalf of their children.
What kind of issues can be brought to the DCS?
The Disability Discrimination
Act states that it is unlawful for service providers to discriminate on the
grounds of disability. This includes the provision of facilities and premises
such as public buildings as well as goods and services. Some of the issues that
have already come to conciliation include:
Higher life insurance premiums for a person with a disability.
Exclusion from a school trip due to the possible need for medication
Lack of awareness by travel companies of the needs of their customers with disabilities.
What is conciliation?
Conciliation is a way of resolving disputes which help those involved to reach agreement with the help of an impartial third party person-the conciliator. Conciliation is a "win / win" approach. It is about finding a solution which satisfies everyone. The process is entirely voluntary and may be stopped at any time by any party. If conciliation is unsuccessful, a disabled person may still take their case to court if they wish to do so.
What is the likely outcome?
Some of the cases that have already gone through the conciliation process have resulted in one or more of the following outcomes:
While these outcomes may benefit the individual complainants, they also go a long way to changing society's attitudes to people with a disability and breaking down the barriers they encounter daily.
The Disability Conciliation Service can be contacted through the Disability Rights Commission.
Telephone : 0845 762 2644
E-mail :
enquiry@drc-gb.org
Post :
DRC helpline, FREEPOST, MID 02164