Unit 3
E1:
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
Children Act 1989
Children Act 2004
Human Rights Act 2000

E2:
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
According to Equality Commission (2007) The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines disability as someone with "a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities." Disabled people can include the following:
People who are blind or partially sighted
People who are deaf or hard of hearing
People with learning difficulties
People who have to use a wheelchair
People who have or have experienced mental health problems and more.
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 influences practice in a setting in situations like a child in a wheelchair not being able to take part in certain actitivities. The legislation means that settings have to be inclusive and alter the activity to make it wheelchair friendly so that this child is being left out.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (UNCRC) defines children as anyone under the age of 18 years, whatever their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, abilities or background. According to UNICEF, the convention states that children have the right to:
"The right to a childhood (including protection from harm)
The right to be educated (including all girls and boys completing primary school)
The right to be healthy (including having clean water, nutritious food and medical care)
The right to be treated fairly (including changing laws and practices that are unfair on children)
The right to be heard (including considering children's views)"

The UNCRC 1989 influences practice in settings because the legislation means the staff have the responsibility to keep the children safe, e.g. doing regular checks, risk assessments and being careful who they allow into the setting. It also limits the food they can provide the children with, e.g. they should have a healthy yoghurt, or a piece of fruit rather than a slice of chocolate cake. It also means that have to treat all children in their care fairly and none should be discriminated against.
Children Act 1989/2004
The Children Act 1989 main focus was to ensure that the welfare of the child was top priority. They worked in partnership with parents to protect children from harm. The Act worked to strengthen the child’s legal position and they intended to give each child:
Equal rights
Respect for their feelings
Respect for their wishes
The right to be consulted and kept