Job applications & DDA

nifferwilko

Hope someone can help with this little dilemma - it's a bit of a long one...

Last January (as in 2006) I had an incident with a fire door which damaged my knee. The pain got progressively worse and I was eventually signed off work for 9 weeks. Came back to work after being promised adjustments and none appeared. Managed to get to and from work okay with the help of my housemates and the buildings lifts. My manager also let me work from home a few times too.

As I'm on a training scheme, I moved to another placement in Leeds (from Swindon) and struggled with the move. My manager was understanding and let me work from home on days I struggled to get in to work, but I did struggle with the hills and living in an attic so I had 4 periods of absence (7 days in total) in 4 months (roughly one a month).

I then got placed to an office close to where I'm originally from so I'm managing a lot better here as I have my parents to ferry me to work when I'm too bad to catch the bus. But I do struggle with the office I'm in as there are 8/9 steps to get to the entrance of the building which worries me if there was a fire or something. I was forced to take a day off earlier this week.

As I’ve been dealing with my knee for well over a year and it affects my mobility (can’t pick things off the floor/climb stairs/carry anything remotely heavy/get out of the bath without assistance – I’m 23!!!!!), looking at the DDA I think it applies to me. But work have sent me to a health assessment thing (in which the doctor took 10 minutes assessing me) and the report said that the DDA wouldn’t apply. But I think the poor assessment made them come to that conclusion. It is only temporary as hopefully I can make a full recovery with treatment but it is now long-term so therefore covered by the DDA?!?!

Due to numerous other issues with my employer, I’m now looking for other employment. I’m unsure as to whether or not I should declare my ‘disability’ that’s covered under the DDA. A lot of places (such as the local councils) guarantee interviews to disabled candidates but I don’t want to say I am just to get the guaranteed interviews. I mean, when they ask if you are disabled, do they mean registered disabled or covered under the DDA.

Sorry for the long post – any words of wisdom welcome

LittleVoice

I think you need to know how long your "disability" is likely to last. Should you be OK by next summer (2008)? If not, then I would say the DDA may well apply as you are restricted in your day-to-day activities.

You mention not being able to carry anything remotely heavy. Are you able to carry a briefcase or lift a kettle of water? I think those may be the kind of measures that could be used.

Perhaps someone with greater knowledge will come along to confirm or disagree with this.

I believe your employer should be required to have a ramp access to the building to avoid the 8/9 steps. This would not have to be to the same entrance but someone with mobility problems should be able to access the building without having to negotiate steps.

Employers who use the Disability Symbol (two ticks) are basing their assessment of disability on the DDA. Good luck with finding a new job.

jezebel

A lot of places ask if you consider yourself to have a disability, rather than if you are registered disabled and if this would impair your ability to do the job then claim it but it really is up to you. You could also explain to employers that you had time off due to an injury and this is why you are changing jobs - this way it explains time off if you have to talk about that without mentioning the disability.