What is a Disability?

There are lots of different models for defining disabilities but for this module we are going to use the legal one as this is usually the basis for complaints involving disability discrimination, which we are trying to avoid. You can find out more about the other models from the SCOPE website.

The Equality Act 2010 uses the definition “a physical or mental impairment that has a “substantial” and “long-term” negative effect on your ability to do normal activities. The Equality Act doesn’t apply in Northern Ireland, they use the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 definition “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities”.

What types of Disability are there?

The definition is quite broad and depending on how they impact people can cover a lot of conditions. Acas gives the following examples of disabilities defined by law:

1.      Conditions that get worse over time e.g. asthma

2.      Having more than one condition e.g. arthritis and sciatica

3.      Cancer

4.      When someone hasn’t been diagnosed e.g. poor mental health which has not been formally diagnosed

You may have heard the terms” visible” and “invisible” or “hidden” as ways to describe disabilities. These terms refer to whether you can see the disability (visible) or not (invisible/hidden).

“Neurodiversity” is another term you may have heard when describing disabilities. This term usually refers to conditions such as Autism, ADHD and Dyslexia which are invisible disabilities.

The type of disability a person has is far less important than understanding and addressing their specific needs and requirements. Lets look at how we can identify the needs of customers with disabilities and some strategies to support them in our pharmacies.