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Diabetes a disability

Wurst

Wurst

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,128
Location
Germany
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Narcissistic forum members
I finally got to speak to an English speaking doctor about my type 1 diagnosis and cleared up a lot of points and has some surprises. I live in Germany with a poor grasp of the local language.

As i've now started injections of insulin i am now classified as 40% disabled under German law, which was very surprising. Also many employment laws exist here such as extra annual leave etc etc.

As i hope to the return to the UK one day , are there any comparitive laws there?
 
I'm surprised also, diabetes itself doesn't class you as disabled in the UK unless you have other health related problems too, however we are protected under Disability Discrimination Act 2005.
 
I'm not sure about the UK... but here in Australia there is disabillity discrimination law which basically says you're disabled if any part of your body doesn't work properly... so that would class diabetics as having a disability. UK is probably similar?

Ours says:

disability" , in relation to a person, means:

(a) total or partial loss of the person's bodily or mental functions; or

(b) total or partial loss of a part of the body; or

(c) the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness; or

(d) the presence in the body of organisms capable of causing disease or illness; or

(e) the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the person's body; or

(f) a disorder or malfunction that results in the person learning differently from a person without the disorder or malfunction; or

(g) a disorder, illness or disease that affects a person's thought processes, perception of reality, emotions or judgment or that results in disturbed behaviour;

and includes a disability that:

(h) presently exists; or

(i) previously existed but no longer exists; or

(j) may exist in the future (including because of a genetic predisposition to that disability); or

(k) is imputed to a person.
 
As far as I know, you will only be eligible for the disability living allowance etc if you diabetes is having a real impact on your life. In other words, if you have complications. You do, however, quality for free prescriptions.

Em
 
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