Driving license desirable?

Guest101

sangie595 wrote: »

Smile now... But... Epilepsy is a disability. Even when medicated. Even if there hasn't been an attack for a long time. Because there is never any certainty that it is over, so it had a permanent impact on normal living. Like diabetes, which can also be medicated or controlled, but it's still a disability. Simply because one may get one's licence to drive back does not mean you aren't disabled. My friend Gary has epilepsy from brain damage. Last year he was permitted to get his licence back. He had decided against it because nobody can guarantee he won't ever have another attack, and he isn't prepared to take that risk for other people. But legally he is entitled to drive now. And is disabled.

Fair enough and hope Gary is doing ok

I think you know what I mean, however I concede it's a fair point

GlasweJen

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

I'm ex-NHS and think it'd be appalling if you didn't get the chance to progress your career simply because you weren't mobile enough because of your disability.


Two thoughts. First, many NHS trusts with multiple sites have (or would used to have) a contract with a local taxi firm to provide transport for staff/patients/samples etc. If your trust has such an arrangement it should be cheaper than paying individual ad-hoc fares. Come to think of it, even if there isn't such a contract in place at the moment, perhaps a "reasonable adjustment" would be for your trust to enter into a taxi contract with a local firm just for you. It should be cheaper as the firm would have some guaranteed income based around your shift patterns.


Second, many trusts have volunteer drivers to collect and return patients for appointments etc. I wonder if it would be worthwhile trying to see if this could be extended to you if necessary? I suppose the problem might be if volunteer services are strictly limited to providing a service to patients and not staff?

I don't know about the volunteer drivers as they are hard enough to get for patients up here but now you mention it there is a taxi account for transporting samples out of shuttle hours.

sangie595

GlasweJen wrote: »

I don't know about the volunteer drivers as they are hard enough to get for patients up here but now you mention it there is a taxi account for transporting samples out of shuttle hours.

I'll bet it does more than that - you just don't need to notice. Most large public sector employers have taxi accounts. But as I said, it doesn't matter. You don't need to solve the employers problems. You just need to get that job! Good luck.

Manxman_in_exile

sangie is right that you need to focus on getting the job first because you can demonstrate you are the best candidate.


But I think you perhaps ought also to think about what you can argue for in terms of reasonable adjustments that your employer can make, such as some sort of taxi or volunteer arrangement.


The NHS should be seen to be aiding staff with disabilities