• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Job discrimination because of diabetes

All those commenting on driving and insulin and who are not insulin users themselves, can only be (for the most part) ASSUMING those on insulin are a danger.
 
Silvermonkey, my profession teaches me to be non-judgemental and take responsibility for my own actions. I believe the police force does as well.
As for my experience,many and varied, as for my opinions, as valid as anyone else's.
 
True.....but with the greatest respect, you personally don't fight with a needle five times a day. That's hard enough without certain people telling you in so many words that it was a good job you lost your job -the roads are now a safer place.

Thank god for private messaging. Thank you to those who wish not be named.
 
Yet again, assumptions. I hope you don't make assumptions like that whilst at your work ? In my 'limited' experience that could land you in serious trouble. I knew a probationer who was dismissed for having a totally wrong attitude towards the public. He was a liability. I was always taught to make a judgement after hearing all the evidence which may be facts or circumstantial. then make a valued and considered judgement. Still, perhaps I am assuming too much ?

As for people who are commenting about the subject not being Insulin users, this has nothing to do with it. It is a judgement based on road safety, which means those of us who are road users in any form, pedestrians, cyclists,motor cyclists,drivers etc all have valid opinions to be aired here.

I know what you mean about needles, I inject twice daily. I also have to keep a close eye on hypo and hyper symptoms. It is a struggle. We also get pm's here. I think their opinions are a little different to yours.
 
Perhaps the people, who wish not to be named , could also put their opinions on the board then we could perhaps have a more rounded discussion on the actual subject matter.
 
Then hear this, Cugila - not everybody on insulin is a danger on the road. Read the statistics. Gather ALL evidence, hear ALL sides. Look at it from ALL points of view.

Leave my current role out of it. You know nothing about me on a personal level and you know nothing about my job performance. All you know is that this thread is particularly emotive for me. And I want to be able to support my fellow diabetics, insulin or not. I thought this thread was regarding job roles and diabetes? We're all allowing each other to deviate and it is getting a bit personal.

Deviating again.....Sadly, many police officers, behind their public face, do not always uphold the 'serving the public to the best of their ability' and 'equality, honesty and fairness'. I'd like to think I was not one of them. Hence my personal opinion re. treating everyone as individuals.
 
OK. SM.

Lets cut the personal stuff and agree to differ, for whatever reasons. That seems sensible to me.

Now, leave your emotions behind as you would at work and stick with the subject. All we seem to have is your opinion at the moment so I intend to bump up the OP and see what other views we can get. I will stay out of it as a member unless there is a moderating decision to be taken.

Opinions about this were asked for by the OP. As far as I can see they have been given by some of us. Valid opinions.

I totally agree with your last paragraph by the way. Now there's a thing. :wink:
 
djs1990 said:
Hey there,

Have you ever noticed here in the UK we as diabetics, type 1 or 2, we are discriminated against in certain jobs and sectors even though there is no real need for it (the likes of the army would be understandable though).

Right now I am 19 and no idea what I want to do with life, there a couple of jobs I would love to go in such directions however my 'disability' immediatly puts me out such as the airline industry, I have a dream of being a pilot but know as a diabetic unless they actually discover a cure that that is all it will ever be, a dream!

What I would like to see would be diabetics being abel to driver the likes of LGVs and HGVs as long as they monitor their blood sugars and it is reviewed by a doctor every so often, I know we can't change the the likes of aviations laws as they are european but if we can at least make a start.

Any signatures would be greatly appreciated and any feedback and discussion would be welcome too, thanks

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/DiabeticHGVban/
Click to expand...


OK Folks. Any NEW posters want to comment on this one. Quite a discussion so far....... :!:
 
Having read all the posts in this thread I now feel its time to voice my own opinions and assumptions. Discrimination of any kind in the workplace is illegal. How would anyone feel if they were told that they couldn’t do a particular job because they were too fat? Driving a lorry or bus for instance! The significant increased risk of a heart attack in fat people does not exclude them from driving. Are old people discriminated against when it comes to driving? During my many years of driving lorries and busses I found the biggest danger to me were old people whose reaction time had diminished with age. Am I assuming that all old and fat people are a liability on the roads? No I’m not, but a fair few are.

The answer is individual assessment, where everyone is treated as a separate case. Not all type 1’s are a danger to society, some are responsible enough to look after themselves properly. An assessment by an independent doctor, annual medicals, having to produce your BG meter to the authorities on request to prove you have tested your levels at the required intervals. Even an immediate revocation of the licence if certain criteria were not met. These are all conditions I would happily abide by if I could get my licenses back.

As well as my car and motorbike licenses the DVLA in their infinite wisdom allowed me to keep my tracked vehicle licence, I can no longer drive a 40 ton truck but a 60 ton tank is no problem. So I’m off to the job centre again to look for a job driving a tank!
 
Gosh what a debate! My husband is type 1 and he has had a hypo at the wheel once in his life, but that was once too many for me! He is extremely well controlled and always checks before driving. On this occasion he was about to eat something before we got into the car, but the kids were misbehaving, baby crying etc and he just got distracted. And, unfortunately that is all it can take. So yes, I do believe that there are certain jobs which a diabetic should not undertake. I know, you could argue that a normal healthy person could suffer a heart attack at the wheel, but you have to base it on risk and there is an increased risk for a diabetic of having a hypo at the wheel. The other thing to remember is that for many type 1's including my husband, as you get older it is harder to detect a hypo and they can come on much faster. I don't see it as discrimination, but more a case of common sense and all of us have our limitations as to what we can do - diabetic or not.
 
Hmm quite a discussion has went on since I started this post, sorry I haven't been around more to add m own opinions along the way, I do think people need a bit more tact in this subject though, people here an outside the forum have lost jobs and livelyhoods because of becoming a diabetic.

The main reason I see is that poeple see it as a bigger risk and one not worth taking. Life has dealt you it's cards move on, I gotta say I can be stubborn so yea I will push this pettion on, even if it's just to show the public that diabetics out there (and non diabetics of course) have a view that with the proper control things can change. (I'll also put it here that I have never experienced sudden drops or rises in my blood sugar levels without a reason, for every action there is a consequence. I'll also say that I am quite an experienced diabetic I imagine compared to others who have posted in this discussion at 17-18years of it and being only 19 coming 20 soon enough, so I have known no other way of life.

Also I'll put it forward that I live and grew up on a farm, basically driving vehicles once I could reach the pedals type of thing, this includes driving heavy agriculture machinary on the UKs roads (Northern Irelands to be more precise) with filled trailers these can weigh well enough in excess of 10 tonnes, ignore the legality of the issue. I've certainly never had any probelms

Also since some though of putting up their current driving credentials up I'll put mine up too:
Full UK car license
Full UK Motorcycle license
Full IAM member

Not much in comparison to others but of course I am only 19 and wanting more.

Not really sure if this is to topic any more but anyway
 
Under the current system of driver medical assessment I'm afraid I won't be signing the petition either. The current system needs to be tightened up for existing drivers, it's far too easy to be granted a licence on health grounds. Doesn't matter whether you drive a scooter or a pantechnicon. Just my opinion, but I have some experience.

I surrendered my licence in 2007 after 22 years of trouble-free driving, and know that I was just extremely lucky not to have involved (or worse) anyone else in the 2 accidents I had as a result of hypos at the wheel. I don't know how I would live with myself if I had. I was extremely diligent about always testing before a journey and during longer trips, and drove no more than 6-7,000 miles a year latterly.

I suspect a large proportion of diabetics do not look after themselves to the same extent as most of the members of this forum. Which may explain to some extent why so many diabetics in the general population get complications. Members here have shown a raised level of responsibility simply by joining, reading and participating in the discussions - there's a desire to do things right.

The way complications such as hypo unawareness present themselves is so insidious, it would be extremely difficult to implement an effective system of testing, measurement and control. Just because you don't experience this today doesn't mean you will always be free of it, and you have absolutely no way of knowing when it may happen, that's part of the point of being unaware.
 
leggott, you are so right, and I for one applaud you and your husband for making concern for both yourselves and others the priority, rather than a selfish wish to carry on as if nothing can happen.
Why is it that so many people agree that the laws of this country are right, but see themselves as the obvious exception to the rules?
Val
 
valattrevear said:
leggott, you are so right, and I for one applaud you and your husband for making concern for both yourselves and others the priority, rather than a selfish wish to carry on as if nothing can happen.
Why is it that so many people agree that the laws of this country are right, but see themselves as the obvious exception to the rules?
Val
Click to expand...


Ok so I assume nobody wants to see this topic come up again so I don't expect any replys,

Hwever I must say I am actually quite offended by this comment, I am in no way ignorant of the posiblilies of what diabetes can do to me. At no point did I ever say it will never happen I am far too good for that or anything around those lines. Nor do I see myself as the exception there are others out there who control it well and would be responible enough for the job, however there are also others out there who should not have their car license at all due to lack of care of their "disability".

So Val please do some assum that I am some selfish brat who wants to put everyone else at danger just to satisfy my own self importance or something around those lines

I have never said the laws of this country are wrong (although I imagine a lot of people would say they are for a lot of different reason, although that is for another discussion) however I do believe they do need to be reviewed and reassesed, that is all I am looking for, I know that even if this does make it to the prime minister that nothing may change, but I am at least wanting them to be looked at again.
 
Oh my goodness! what a furore over a simple question from a 19 year old Diabetic making an attempt to decide on his future career plans - I love this site, lol!

I have been hypo at the wheel and I managed to pull over and treat myself. My daughter was in the car in the back seat and she was beyond frightened. and for the record, I had checked my BG before the journey and the hypo happened within 30 mins of my leaving my house. Hypo's can and do and will creep up on you from time to time, that is probably the only given 'rule' about being a Diabetic! The thought of being behind the controls of a plane when feeling hypo makes me feel physically sick with fear. But then that's just me. I am however, glad the rules and laws are in place to keep the roads and the airways as safe as possible when it comes to diabetic drivers and pilots! But good luck to anyone who wants to try and get the rules changed, won't affect me in the slightest as I have no plans to apply for my pilots licence any time soon :lol:

Sorry if that is too much 'personal' info for some :D
 
DJS, you miss the point I make, that we all feel that we are the exception, [or should be] to the laws that interfere with our wishes, or that we should be able to tailor them to suit ourselves. What you may think of me is immaterial, but you, me and every other person with a disability which could cause lack of control at the wheel of several tons of death dealing metal should never be misguided enough to think that is acceptable to be in control of a vehicle whether it is on the ground or in the air! By the way, I hope, Debloubed, that no semi comatose driver ever puts you at risk!
Val
 
I hope, Debloubed, that no semi comatose driver ever puts you at risk!
Click to expand...

What? Semi comatose? I think this is what Silver Monkey was talking about regarding assumptions.

I agree it's bull**** there is a co-piolt and pilot most of the time when flying and this is why T1's can fly in some parts of America and Canada.

Regarding driving HGVS i also think it's rubbish. There are foreigners who are legally allowed to drive in this country who are NOT SAFE or have limited experience of our roads. (who cause more accidents that diabetics)
There are artics on the road from Poland and other countries that are in far from road worthy sates which cause major accidents.

Peace
 
By the way, I hope, Debloubed, that no semi comatose driver ever puts you at risk!
Val[/quote]

Hi Val,

Just to be clear, I wasn't semi-comatose at the wheel (not sure if that's what you meant?!) and I also hope that nobody who is semi-comatose at the wheel puts me at risk, did my post in any way suggest otherwise?! I think my main point was that as a Type 1, insulin dependent diabetic for 20+ years, I have learned that 'sometimes' the human body does odd things. 'Sometimes' I can be hypo and not really know what is going on as confusion is a sympton of a low BG?! So if I were driving an HGV or flying a plane I would hate to be in that situ as I wouldn't be aware enough to pull over or land or whatever would be the safest option :P

Take Care,

Deb :D
 
My comment Debloubed, refers to the fact you don't have a problem with the rules being relaxed/amended to permit people who, as you know yourself, are at risk of losing control.
As for Tony Truthful, please don't muddy the waters by changing the subject I commented on. Foreign drivers are not at the moment in my thoughts. Do you really think diabetics don't have hypos? I think you will find it is a fact, not an assumption, that they do!
Val
 
Back
Top