Direct Discrimination

A form of unlawful discrimination where a person is treated less favorably than others because of a protected characteristic such as disability, race, or sex. Under UK and EU equality law, direct discrimination occurs when the unfavorable treatment is explicitly motivated by the characteristic, whether consciously or subconsciously. In AI contexts, direct discrimination could occur if an algorithm explicitly uses disability status as a factor to deny opportunities. Unlike indirect discrimination, direct discrimination against PWD is generally difficult to justify legally, though disability discrimination law uniquely permits treating disabled people more favorably than non-disabled people.