Disability Act - Critics have been proved all too right

Just one day into the life of the Disability Act 2005 demonstrates that the clamour of protest and criticism it attracted as a bill was justified.

Despite numerous demands from informed disability support groups and experts that the bill be completely overhauled, if not rejected, the Government went stubbornly ahead and enacted it into law.

It emerged yesterday, on its first day, that the new act allows government departments and public bodies up to 10 years to improve disabled access to their buildings.