Proposal to amend Guernsey's anti-discrimination laws

The proposal will be debated by States members next week

Disability campaigners say a proposal to amend Guernsey's new anti-discrimination laws would undermine its legislation.

Deputy Chris Blin has made a proposal to make small businesses exempt from the new law.

Carol Le Page, from Guernsey Disability Alliance, said excluding small businesses would be discriminatory.

The proposal will be debated by States members next week.

Ms Le Page said the new law "doesn't necessarily mean... a big change" for small businesses.

"It could be as simple as having a different font even on your website... and to exclude small businesses from anything that is reasonable is in itself discriminatory," she said.

Deputy Chris Blin's proposal would exempt businesses with five or less employees.

He said: "We're generally focussing on Guernsey owned and managed small businesses, to exempt them from some of the material or reasonable adjustments so that they are not affected.

"In due course, when we have more time to review the requirements and needs and at that point maybe we could look at bringing them in as well."

Employment and Social Security President Peter Roffey said the proposal from Mr Blin would not give campaigners what they asked for.

"To actually take those employees, and actually their service users, completely out of the protection of the law altogether is just driving a coach and horses through it," he said.

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