Equality Act 2010: Duty on schools and local authorities to provide auxiliary aids and services for disabled children

The provision that places a duty on schools and local authorities to provide auxiliary aids as part of their duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children.

The Equality Act 2010 makes a Minister of the UK Government responsible for commencing the new auxiliary aids duty making any regulations under section 22 of the Act and for undertaking any consultation regarding these matters in relation to Wales. The Welsh Ministers have agreed however to consult in relation to Wales on the UK Minister’s behalf under section 83(1) of the Government of Wales Act 2006.

This consultation seeks responses on two issues. Firstly the date by which the new duty should be brought into effect including consideration of whether there are any reasons why the duty should not be commenced or should be commenced later than September 2012. Secondly whether regulations under section 22 of the Equality Act 2010 would be necessary to define the duty on schools and local authorities to provide auxiliary aids.