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Are you disabled?

snowleopard

Well-Known Member
Messages
63
Type of diabetes
Type 1
No, I don't mean are you in a wheelchair but do you regard your diabetes as a disability?

I recall a news item a few months ago where a person with T1D gave up work because they regarded diabetes management as a full time job. A similar news article cropped up yesterday where a young woman with a stoma (external bag for collection of bowel contents) was complaining that people wouldn't give up disabled seats on public transport for her.

So my question is: do you regard diabetes as a disability that restricts your life or makes you eligible for special treatment.

When I was first diagnosed (in my 60s) several medical professionals were solicitous about my mental health. Does your condition make you depressed, anxious or cause other mental health problems?
 
snowleopard said:
I recall a news item a few months ago where a person with T1D gave up work because they regarded diabetes management as a full time job.
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I'm surprised they got away with that! I wonder what the DHSS view was. No doubt managing type I is a job, but full time? I'll let the type Is on this forum answer that.

snowleopard said:
. . . . a young woman with a stoma (external bag for collection of bowel contents) was complaining that people wouldn't give up disabled seats on public transport for her.
Click to expand...

My podiatrist has a colostomy bag, it hasn't stopped her doing anything. She still plays badmington, maybe more gingerly, I don't know. She doesn't consider it a disability, more of a challenge and preferable to what was happening before.
 
Hi @snowleopard I don't regard my T1 as a disability at all, however 6 months after I was diagnosed I did have to give up my previous job in sales as I was unable to cope mentally with the challenges I faced in managing my T1 as well, I had a number of incidents when in a client meetings that had run over I was running hypo and of course trying to close a sale at the same time, which caused me great embarrassment and mean't I lost the business as a result - as I was career driven it contributed to depression and my BG levels were unstable, something I couldn't sustain whilst being a parent so a career change was necessary.

You cannot judge someone's circumstances based on headline news when you haven't walked in their shoes.
 
I have never considered myself disabled
I feel I just have to plan a bit more to live my life
 
No, definitely not.........

Also, i cant remember a time in the whole 19 years where it has resulted in me needing special treatment.....

but everyone is different and I suppose it all depends on the diabetics mental attitude towards their condition......

if you believe something hard enough it will manifest....
 
i am but its nowt todo with diabetes. why would it make you unableto work.
 
I'm not disabled, but my attitude to my diabetes management is a challenge. I am fortunate that I am self-employed these days and therefore have control over my working life.

When I was employed in my two previous positions, both in UK and in mainland Europe, I was often finding my diabetes difficult to manage because of my job obligations, and my job difficult to manage because of my obsessive diabetes management. Both would take it in turns.

I do the best I can despite my own very stringent self-imposed requirement for diabetes perfection. And I don't say that likely.

I'm fit, well, and (semi)solvent. And life is good.
 
Juicyj said:
You cannot judge someone's circumstances based on headline news when you haven't walked in their shoes.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am careful with that. I have T1D and find it reasonably easy to manage but a neighbour who has had the same for nearly 50 years has a really hard time of it with up to 10 hypos a week despite using a pump. (And I mentioned the stoma case because my wife has one.)
 
I Don't think of myself as disabled because of my Diabetes. Since having 2 Strokes I cant raise my right arm above my shoulder, I use a walking stick when I go out mainly because of the uneven pavements and stair cases without handrails, I am 77 yrs of age and get tired easily. I Still don't consider myself disabled although some others do and call me disabled to my face which is very annoying .
the concept of giving up your seat 0n metro or sky train here In Bangkok is one that is ignored by almost everyone. Disabled Parking is also ignored by most drivers
 
Feels like a bit of a disability. Possibly I am not allowed to say that, I will get shouted at for not loving every second of it.
 
Type 1 diabetes falls under the definition of a disability under the Equality Act 2010, which defines a disability as 'a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial long-term negative effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'. This considers diabetes as if it were not treated.

T2 is less clear.

But as to whether you consider yourself disabled that is subjective and so down to the individual.

I personally do not consider my T2 as disabling but I have another condition that is by any definition disabling.

So a bit of a win lose situation.
 
Oh bye the way T2 is not generally considered a disability under the act as it is not progressive and can be controlled by diet alone.

Edit to clarify I should maybe have said if it is not progressive and can be controlled by diet alone.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has made two pronouncements on this both conflicting with each other.
 
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I do not consider myself disabled.
However, I am aware diabetes is covered by DDA (disability discrimination act) and if my employer treated me differently because of my diabetes, I would make the most of this disability status.
Thankfully, I have never had to use it: my employer treats me exactly the same as everyone else and I continue to exercise, travel, eat, drink. etc, as I did before I had type 1.
 
I have T1 and don’t class myself as disabled but I know someone who has T2 and classes themselves as disabled.

Disabled no inconvenienced most definitely yes
 
I do remember someone here a long time ago asking if she gave up work because of her diabetes could she claim disability benefits .I think she was told it would not be very likely but it does show how some people can see it as a disability but most of us I think would not like to be classed as being disabled
 
NoKindOfSusie said:
Feels like a bit of a disability. Possibly I am not allowed to say that, I will get shouted at for not loving every second of it.
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of course you are allowed to say that without fear of being shouted at !!!
all of us are different and view our "cup of life" differently -- mine is pretty full and I try my best to minimise setbacks

others are not the same in their views........and the cup can soon drain....

I would suggest @NoKindOfSusie that you try and have a look at this website
https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-5-stages-of-loss-and-grief/
when i was diagnosed over 45 years ago -- I was given this as a guide to dealing with a lifelong chronic ilness.
I can honestly say it has been a good companion and helps me through any low points in my life i may encounter.
 
I don't think of my type 1 as a disability - I certainly don't think I'm disabled. I certainly don't need anyone to give up a seat for me (perfectly capable of hanging standing up on moving train and testing my blood sugar at the same time). But I am very aware that I benefit from the Equality Act protections for people with disabilities. Legally, the test for whether you have a disability under the Equality Act is whether you have a long term condition that without treatment has a significant adverse impact on your ability to carry out day-to-day avtivities. Without treatment, I'd give it maximum of a week before I was unconscious in DKA, which would be a pretty significant adverse impact. So, to ensure that I can do my treatment and I don't end up in a position where I am actually disabled the Equality Act provides me with protections so that restaurants can't refuse to serve me because I'm injecting, venues can't refuse to let me in because I have needles on me, my workplace can't apply a rule that says no food on the shop floor to me, work have to let me have time off to attend hospital appointments. That's why I do tick the box that says I have a disability when filling in diversity questionnaires at work etc.
 
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