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Discrimination

What we do

We offer advice to people who have been discriminated against when asking for a service – this covers everything except employment law.  It may be discrimination by a business or a government department or local authority. It doesn't matter whether you pay for the service or whether it is free.

 

Discrimination may be unlawful if it is around disability, gender, race, religious belief or sexual orientation.

 

If you feel you have been discriminated against in your employment, please contact our employment team.

 

What we don't do

We don't advise service providers, only individuals.

We don't advise on welfare benefits entitlement - please contact your nearest advice centre for this.

We don't advise on entitlement to Social Services provision.

 

How to contact us

We prefer you to contact our Enquiry Line on 0114 273 1888 in the first instance.

 

When you contact us, a reception worker will take your contact details and a brief outline of your problem. We will then contact you by phone to get fuller details of the problem. We normally hope to contact you within a couple of days.

 

If you need to, you can:

 

Funding of our Discrimination advice service

Our advice is free to you. We are able to offer this service because of the funding we receive from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

 

 

News  on Discrimination casework

 

David Allen v Royal Bank of Scotland: Court of Appeal upholds landmark disability access case

 

Judgement to be given in Allen v Royal Bank of Scotland on 20th November 2009.

 

Sheffield Law Centre lodged a formal objection to a planning application to install barriers at Sheffield Station, which would reduce access for disabled people.

 

Novel use of DDA provides protection against bankruptcy

 

Law Centre's Equality Rights Worker gives evidence to House of Commons Select Committee on The Equality Bill: how disability equality fits within a single Equality Act.

Transcript of evidence of the Equality Rights Worker to House of Commons Select Committee on the Equality Bill

 

Royal Bank of Scotland: Court orders bank to install wheelchair access and pay compensation


A disabled driver from Doncaster has settled his complaint of disability discrimination with a leading insurance broker

 

A Parish Council discriminated against a wheelchair-user by failing to install suitable access at its new community centre. Sheffield County Court awarded £3000.

 

Sheffield Law Centre helped a woman win her case against the DWP for discriminating against her by failing to put its correspondence in an accessible format. The court awarded £2,500.

 

Sheffield Law Centre achieved a record £5,000 damages for disability discrimination in the goods & services field.

 


 

 

 

Latest Discrimination News

 

David Allen v Royal Bank of Scotland: Court of Appeal upholds landmark disability
access case

 

Allen v Royal Bank of Scotland: Judgement available here

 


 

Resources

Download a self-help pack to write that all-important first letter.  This pack has been prepared by Sheffield Law Centre and Chesterfield Law Centre.

 

 

Discrimination law links

There is a lot of information on the Internet about discrimination rights. We suggest you start with the following links to try and find the information you want.

 

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Has a helpline for enquiries and lists of publications and Frequently Asked Questions.

 

The Helpline is 0845 604 6610

 

Advicenow - useful guides on discrimination.

 

Directgov - public services all in one place

This is a government website with advice on disabled people's rights in everyday life.

 

Education advice

 

IPSEA, (the Independent Panel for Special Educational Advice) is a registered charity offering free and independent advice to parents of children with special educational needs

 

Advice line: 0800 018 4016

 

ACE (The Advisory Centre for Education) is a national charity that provides advice and information to parents and carers.

 

Advice line: 0808 800 5793