In a move warmly welcomed by HIV activists, the UK government has announced that it is extending the scope of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) to cover HIV from the moment of diagnosis.
A bill will be introduced into Parliament later this year to amend the DDA, which currently only offers protection from discrimination on the grounds of disability to people who have been diagnosed HIV-positive for a year or more.
Under the DDA it is illegal to sack somebody simply because they have HIV, and employers are required to make “reasonable adjustments” to help people with HIV and other disabilities remain in work. Once the amendments have passed through Parliament this protection will be extended to all newly diagnosed HIV-positive people.
A spokesperson for the UK’s largest HIV charity, the Terrence Higgins Trust, which has been campaigning for the extension of the DDA, and has helped people bring several successful prosecutions against employers for breaching it, said: “We are delighted…it is extremely important because it recognises the impact of prejudice on the employment experiences of people with HIV.”
Public consultation on the draft bill, which will include other measures such as making public transport more accessible, will take place. However some opposition politicians have expressed concern that the Labour government has not given a firm date for the introduction of the bill to Parliament.