Disability Part 1: The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) – implications for dentists

Abstract

The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) (DDA) aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face in their dayto-day lives. 1 But how many dentists are aware of their responsibilities under this Act? Dentists are already bound by Parts I and II of the DDA, but Part III, which is due to come into effect in 2004, and which is concerned with physical alterations to premises, has potentially profound implications for many in dental practice. Health Authorities in Merseyside, in the North West of England have been exploring ways in which access to dental care for disabled people can be improved. In this paper, the first of a series of three, we outline the DDA and how it affects dentists in general practice.

Evaluating the population with intellectual disability unable to comply with routine dental treatment using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

“…Legitimate ethical concerns are raised when trying to define subgroups of the general population, in particular issues of labelling behaviour and stigmatisation [25,26] and positive discrimination. These concerns need to be taken into account when trying to define the population with special needs in dentistry, as elsewhere.…”

Disability Part 2: Access to dental services for disabled people. A questionnaire survey of dental practices in Merseyside

“…An outline of the Act and its implications for dental practices is given in the first paper of this series. 2 In September 1999 a wheelchair user complained to her Community Health Council (CHC) that after changing her wheelchair she could no longer get through the door of her dentist's surgery. As a result the CHC requested a list of accessible practices from Sefton Health Authority.…”

Barreras físicas y estructurales para el tratamiento odontológico de personas con discapacidad motora

“…Por lo general, los modelos típicos de atención en salud son inadecuados para las personas discapacitadas [2]. El reto para el sistema de salud es prestar servicios a las personas con discapacidad que sean apropiados, eficientes, eficaces y coordinados, de tal manera que satisfagan sus necesidades, que suelen ser únicas para cada persona de esta población.…”

“…Una persona con discapacidad presenta restricciones en la clase o en la cantidad de actividades que puede realizar, debido a dificultades corrientes causadas por una condición física o mental permanente [1,2]. La discapacidad puede ser cognitiva, física o sensorial [3].…”