United Kingdom: New Disability Discrimination Bill
The British government has agreed to include persons suffering from symptomatic HIV/AIDS within the terms of the new Disability Discrimination Bill, now before Parliament.[1]
The Bill is intended to outlaw discrimination against persons with disabilities. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on AIDS has received assurances from the government that when Parliament resumes in October, it will put forward an amendment to include persons suffering from symptomatic HIV/AIDS within the terms of the Bill, so that they would get the same benefits and safeguards as other persons with disabilities: for example, they would be able to sue for unfair dismissal if they were dismissed from their jobs, and insurance firms would no longer be able to cancel life insurance policies of people who later develop AIDS.
The move is likely to prove controversial with some Conservative Mps, who have expressed the view that "AIDS is not like other disabilities and is frequently contracted as a result of behaviour."
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ENDNOTE
[1] See G Jones. UK: AIDS Victims Protected by Disabled Bill. London: The Telegraph, 1995.