Disability discrimination

A general guide on how you are protected from discrimination under the Equality Act and what your rights are.

This information applies to England and Wales.
This information applies to adults. It doesn't apply to children unless specifically stated.

Discrimination and human rights

All public authorities have a legal duty to respect your human rights, as well as following the Equality Act.

This includes not discriminating against you, which is protected in UK law through the Human Rights Act 1998.

Individuals and private companies do not have to follow the Human Rights Act. This means you can't bring human rights claims against individual people or private companies.

See our pages on the Human Rights Act 1998 to learn more.

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This information was published in October 2023. We will revise it in 2026.

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