MORE than half of all small business owners consider the Disability Discrimination Act -- which comes into force next month -- to be irrelevant, according to research by Lloyds TSB Business.

The report, prepared by the Small Enterprise Research Team at the Open University, shows that only four per cent of firms surveyed think that the DDA has a positive impact. And at a time of concern over a rising tide of red tape, one in five think it is expensive or troublesome to implement, while a further 15 per cent say it creates another layer of administration.