What counts as disability?

Jezzafletcher

Hi - can anyone give me a little advice please. I have a congenital disease affecting both my eyes. My left eye is now so poor that I wear placebo lens in my specs. just to "balance up" the look. The specialist hospital I am under are clear that this eye is "visually impaired". My right eye is weak but with specs. I can function fairly well at work etc. although I had to give up driving 5+ years ago. I have asked the specialist hospital if there is any practical assisstance that I can get particularly re. travel. What I am repeatedly told is that I have no entitlement - my right eye although weak is not "partial" sighted! I have been assessed for Access to Work etc. but as I am still holding my same job down I am told that I cannot get any help towards transport. In essence I live in a very rural area, commute by bus (mile and a half walk from home each way) - only bus is 1 an hour (could be worse) but just sometimes the logistics of interconnecting public transport becomes onerous when I have to travel further afield.I am lucky that my employer values me and occasionally if working late I will get a taxi from bus stop to home and claim but in the current employment market I am not comfortable doing this. I accept I work full time in quite a responsible job but I struggle to believe that I am not elligible to any help re. transport - without my determination to work I would cost an awfult lot more. Oh yes - I too am well under 50 years old!!!

nic_santorini

hi there,

I have just searched this whole thread for my circs, but can't find them. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with terminal cancer (secondary mets, liver, lungs and bones), I was given less than 6 months but lucky me am still here. I did not claim any money because my work still paid me and I did not want to be greedy but did at that time have a blue badge because my chemo limited my ability to walk and generally do anything. Now, I still have secondaries and they call it ADVANCED CANCER, I am still on chemo everyday and have been but my quality of life is good and I surrended my blue badge. Morally this was the right thing to do, but others in similar circs have had their badges renewed. Do Advanced Cancer patients automatically qualify for a blue badge? I did not think so, as the online application form says about how many yards you can walk aided/unaided? Could you let me know?

Indie_Kid

nic_santorini wrote: »

hi there,

I have just searched this whole thread for my circs, but can't find them. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with terminal cancer (secondary mets, liver, lungs and bones), I was given less than 6 months but lucky me am still here. I did not claim any money because my work still paid me and I did not want to be greedy but did at that time have a blue badge because my chemo limited my ability to walk and generally do anything. Now, I still have secondaries and they call it ADVANCED CANCER, I am still on chemo everyday and have been but my quality of life is good and I surrended my blue badge. Morally this was the right thing to do, but others in similar circs have had their badges renewed. Do Advanced Cancer patients automatically qualify for a blue badge? I did not think so, as the online application form says about how many yards you can walk aided/unaided? Could you let me know?

My understanding is that (with the exception of being registered blind) the blue badge is given based on one's individual circumstances.

I've not come across anything that says anyone with advanced cancer qualifies auotmatically.

vampess1973

hi i agree iv been told that the bottom of my spine and the muscle round it has weakoned. And i can only manage to walk on crutches, and some people look at me as if im too young to be disabled.:(

babyshoes

I have just searched this thread and found nothing about Irritable Bowel Syndrome - I am not sure if it counts as a disability or not... Most of the time I have it under control, as I have worked out what the triggers are, but there are some triggers I cannot avoid, such as unexpected stress and hormones.

I am worried about being disciplined at work because I miss quite a few days (usually around one day a month) as a result of it, and sometimes I struggle in when I feel fairly dire, just to avoid having to take a sick day - but of course I'm not very productive on those days which I am sure is noted too. I have told my boss about the IBS, and if the sick day is due to IBS I will always mention it when I call in, but I sometimes get the impression my boss doesn't always believe me! It has been ongoing for a couple of years now, and I just don't think he understands. He is the type of person who gets very sick for a week or so and then is better - there is no grey area for him or single day sicknesses, he is either very sick or well enough to work even if he doesn't feel great. Is that a bloke thing, or perhaps ex-forces thing?

Of course, if it is recognised as a disability, I would be less worried about being fired for absences on days when I barely have the energy to rush to the toilet when I need to, as I believe that would be discrimination.

I also struggle on and off with mild to moderate depression, but luckily I am one of the ones that the pills work for, so am able to cope well enough at work with that. I haven't told my boss about it as I know he thinks it is an excuse for people who are work shy! (And I haven't needed days off as a result of it yet, thank goodness!) Some of my colleagues know though and have been suitably sympathetic.

I am not very clued up on disability issues, and would appreciate the views of someone who knows if IBS would be considered a disability. The impact it has on my daily life is mostly controllable through diet, but as I mentioned there are days when I can't do anything about it except keep rushing to the loo for the first couple of hours, then collapsing in bed for the rest of the day. Obviously this is impacting on my ability to do and (possibly) keep my job!

Sorry for the ramble, my thoughts all seemed to come out in a rush!

jazabelle

To be covered under the Disability Discrimination Act, you need to fit their definition.

"A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out day-to-day activities."

It may be that because it's not daily, and generally controlled, it wouldn't come under the DDA?

soolin

jazabelle wrote: »

To be covered under the Disability Discrimination Act, you need to fit their definition.

"A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out day-to-day activities."

It may be that because it's not daily, and generally controlled, it wouldn't come under the DDA?

I agree, that is the same clause that prevents coeliac sufferers or people who have chronic cluster migraines from claiming. 'Most' of the time the person is well (well maybe not 100% but certainly enough to go about their daily business).

Indie_Kid

To me, IBS is a disability. It affects me daily in the sense that it can leave me in constant pain and I have to be extremely careful what I do & don't eat. It has also meant that I have weight issues.

Just because it doesn't affect you that much; doesn't mean it doesn't affect someone else like that.

Horace

Jezzafletcher wrote: »

Hi - can anyone give me a little advice please. I have a congenital disease affecting both my eyes. My left eye is now so poor that I wear placebo lens in my specs. just to "balance up" the look. The specialist hospital I am under are clear that this eye is "visually impaired". My right eye is weak but with specs. I can function fairly well at work etc. although I had to give up driving 5+ years ago. I have asked the specialist hospital if there is any practical assisstance that I can get particularly re. travel. What I am repeatedly told is that I have no entitlement - my right eye although weak is not "partial" sighted! I have been assessed for Access to Work etc. but as I am still holding my same job down I am told that I cannot get any help towards transport. In essence I live in a very rural area, commute by bus (mile and a half walk from home each way) - only bus is 1 an hour (could be worse) but just sometimes the logistics of interconnecting public transport becomes onerous when I have to travel further afield.I am lucky that my employer values me and occasionally if working late I will get a taxi from bus stop to home and claim but in the current employment market I am not comfortable doing this. I accept I work full time in quite a responsible job but I struggle to believe that I am not elligible to any help re. transport - without my determination to work I would cost an awfult lot more. Oh yes - I too am well under 50 years old!!!

Unfortunately because you have one 'good' eye you are not classed as partially sighted, I even asked the RNIB about this because I am in a similar situation although when my glasses allow I can still drive. Access to Work can help you with adjustments in the office but your sight isnt bad enough for them to pay for taxis.

I have one which only has peripheral vision and I am short sighted in the other eye (I re-took my driving test and can drive without restriction). When I was on the dole my DEA told me to claim DLA but I can dress myself and plan a meal so I wasnt disabled enough to get it. I use aids when I am using the computer e.g. zoom text, I have a daylight lamp and have a magnifier that I use when my eyes get tired, I also got myself a 10x magnification mirror so that I can put make up on and have a thing that I clip onto the side of my mug which vibrates when I ger near the top when I am pouring water into it (I tend to use this when I have had surgery)...I am also under 50 years old.

Unfortunately until our sight in our 'good' eyes deteriorate to such a point where we can no longer function properly will we be classed as being partially sighted or even blind and then we will be able to get help in the form of a free bus pass or even have taxis.

Indie_Kid

Jezzafletcher wrote: »

The specialist hospital I am under are clear that this eye is "visually impaired".

The term "visually impaired" is described as (by NHS) as a condition that can't be corrected by glasses. There are many out there (I have friends who are in this situation) who have almost all their vision; but are classed as visually impaired on the basis that what they have can't be corrected by glasses.

It's possible to get a bus pass without being registered as partially sighted - I have a friend who gets one.

I am registered partially sighted and at my last hospital appointment, was told I could drive. The person who told me that clearly doesn't know the criteria. (it's the worst it's ever been) I am also not going to risk it - it's not safe for me; as someone with an unpredictable condition which causes tiredness.

Unfortunately because you have one 'good' eye you are not classed as partially sighted

This is true.

have a thing that I clip onto the side of my mug which vibrates when I ger near the top when I am pouring water into it (I tend to use this when I have had surgery)...

I have one of these and it's the one for two liquids. it scares the crap out of my parents because the beeping is quite loud.