Work discrimination

Hi James

I suggest you get in touch with http://www.dialuk.info/ for information on Disability Rights and also make an appointment at your local Job Centre with an DEAS officer = Disability Employment Advisory Service Officer.

I hope that this is of some use to you and your son.

All the best

Karen

Challenges can be stumbling blocks or stepping stones, it depends how you view them

Hi,
I work as a paramedic currently and have just been diagnosed as type 1 diabetic. I now face the possibility of being taken of front line work as a paramedic because i am now diabetic as it is suggested i am a risk whilst driving. I now face the task of trying to save the job i love doing and all the hassle and stress which goes with it. I was wondering if there has been anyone else in the same postion as myself, or anyone who can offer advice.

Yeah, when I was diagnosed I was disappointed to find out that I couldn't be a deep sea diver, or a truck driver.....

There still are plenty of things you can do being a diabetic, it is unfortunate that all of the things he has though of so far as careers are out due to diabetes but there are thousands more which are not affected.

Yes it sucks because i was interested in enlisting in military. I thought diabetics can join the police? But if not. I would love to bring something of a computer/technology career.

Hello James,
just a quick note regaurding becoming a fire fighter with diabetes,
recentley i spoke to a former fire fighter on this same topic and he says that it is much easier now for diabetics to pursue a career in the fire service so long that there is good control and this is maintained and checked through out there length of service.

i hope this information helps and wish your son all the best in his future career.
I am hoping to pursue a career in radiograpy.

Zoe Hba1c 7.3 humalog/lantus

I think it is unfair to be discriminated against just because someone has diabetes :/

I am a student with type 1 diabetes and i want to become a nurse when i am older. Do you think i will be allowed to?

As long as you're well controlled ,Mojo,you shouldn't have a problem becoming a nurse.

Knowledge is the key to control

Ok,thanks sugarless sue =]

I know of a diabetic DSN and a doctor with diabetes, so yes, you should be able to be a nurse Mojo.

The only things that you can't pursue a career in involve long distance driving and the military unfortunately. There is a very helpful leaflet I was given when newly diagnosed outlining all of the things you will be restricted from doing. I can dig it out if anyone wants a copy?

Oh thats good then, thanks

yea, it would be interesting to find out what jobs diabetics can't do.

Having diabetes means you can’t do certain jobs
People with diabetes still face blanket bans in some areas of employment, despite the broadening
out of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in October 2004, to cover some potentially
hazardous occupations.
We should actively campaign to lift discriminatory blanket bans. There has been a growth in the
evidence base for individual medical assessment. Individual assessment offers a rational, safe and
legally defensible system of assessment for recruitment.
However, currently there are still certain jobs that people who treat their diabetes with insulin may
be excluded from. These include:
· armed forces
· airline pilot
· a job that needs a large goods vehicle (over 7.5 tonnes) or any large passenger carrying
licence
· driving a train or working track-side
· cab or taxi licences – some local authorities still operate blanket bans.(This is a quote from doc-u-ment) by;

The NUS SWD Campaign is committed to campaigning and fighting for equal
human and civil rights for all students with disabilities. Yet not all disabilities are
apparent. Part of the NUS SWD Campaign is focused upon raising awareness
and campaigning for hidden disabilities. One of the hidden disabilities that we
campaign on is diabetes.
Diabetes is a common health condition. About 1.8 million people in the UK are
known to have diabetes — that’s about three in every 100 people. And there are
an estimated one million people in the UK who have diabetes but don't know it.


Knowledge is the key to control

I told my employer that i had type 2 and since then he has incresed not only my work load but my working hours, this can be up to 12 hours as a delivery driver on some days, this makes it very hard to know what to take to eat. I`m beginning to think he would prefer it if i just left.
Graham

I'm in a similar boat, Whitevanman.
Before I was diagnosed with T2, I was carpeted by my boss & the HR dragon. I came back diabetic & since then I have to go to monthy 'reviews' of my work, on the basis of 'you made this (or) that mistake this month' so now I am recording all the mistakes my co-workers do over the same period. It's more than I make for sure.
Now I am doing the least interesting & important work - grunt work - & for someone with 25 years' experience in the buisness it is fustrating. And this they do out of some sort of 'caring'!
Still, only a couple more years to go, & I will retire. So I bite down on it & soldier on.<font face="Arial"></font id="Arial"><font color="teal"></font id="teal">

Whitemare

i've been a firefighter for 13 years and although im not sure what the criteria for joining the fire service is. All i can say is that i was diagnosed type 1 last may and i had one week off work and then returned on light duties for about a month. Since then i've been fully operational apart from driving the big red lorries (lost my LGV licence). Throughout the last yaer the fire service have been extremely positive and supportive. One thing i do know for a fact is,that before the DDR came out you were not alowed to join or stay in the fire service but all that has changed now.

Re:

Whitevanman said:

I told my employer that i had type 2 and since then he has incresed not only my work load but my working hours, this can be up to 12 hours as a delivery driver on some days, this makes it very hard to know what to take to eat. I`m beginning to think he would prefer it if i just left.
Graham

Click to expand...

Graham, that sounds disgusting. I know how tired I get, and have reduced my hours down from 37 to 31. I work for Bristol City Council and they are very up on DDA but having said that, it did take me 18 months to get my manager to reduce this and had to go through our Occupational Health Doctor to get it done.

I've had type 1 diabetes since I was 9 years old (I'm now 22), and I can honestly say that nearly every superior I've ever had - be it at work, college, uni etc - have all been very fair and I've never been discriminated against.

I was told as a child that I'd never be able to do certain jobs, like join the army or become a police officer or pilot, but I never wanted to do these jobs anyway. But recently I met a man in his late 30s who had been a HGV driver all his working life - until he was diagnosed with diabetes at age 36.

I'm torn. I understand why certain laws are in place - personally, I wouldn't want to be on a plane if I knew the pilot was in danger of seizuring - I know that that's not the case with diabetics but it's how some people see us. Some of these jobs put us at risk also - for example, if you were a soldier who went on a mission that lasted 2 or 3 days, and you couldn't eat or keep your insulin cool - what then? Your commerades would be in danger as they couldn't leave you, and likewise you'd be in serious risk or either a hypo or DKA.

I can't say that I've never had a hypo whilst driving - not a severe one, but we all know it happens and that sometimes it can take you by suprise.

I think the authorities need a bit more eduaction - admit that we all have glitches sometimes, but explain that we know how to avoid them and how easily they are treated. An HGV driver could easily illiminate the risk of danger by testing their blood before driving and carrying a hypo treatment - but does the DVLA know that?

I'm just glad I never had any ambition to be a pilot / police officer / firefighter!

i have been T2 diabetic since havin my second daughter 4 years ago, i work in a retail shop (sainsburys) the hours that i work is normaly 6-11.30 on the nite, i have asked them if i could change my hours so i could finish earlyer,as my meal times are all over the place, i have to have my tea before i go at about 4.30 as i have to catch a bus to work, so when i get home on the nite it is makin it to late to have anything to eat, but they say that just because i have diabetes that i can`t change my hours.Is this right?????

If you can't change your hours do they give you a chance to eat something during your shift? Even if you could take a sandwich and eat it at your usual meal time that would help.

In reference to HGV drivers, and those that can't understand why Diabetics can't be one. Yes, diabetics aren't allowed hgv licences - due to the very real risk of hypos - imagine that 32ton truck plowing towards your car, with the driver having a hypo and not able to concentrate on how to stop, or avoid you. I did want to be an hgv driver, when I was younger (I also wanted to join the airforce, and become a dog handler), because I wanted to travel around the world and this seemed an idea way to do it. But looking at the risks involved, it was pretty obvious why it wasn't allowed.

There are plenty of jobs we can do. In fact, we're not restricted by very many at all, when you come to think about it. And those that we are restricted from doing are all related to the safety factor for people around. When facing a dangerous situation or handling dangerous machinery, I for one would prefer to know that the person doing the job is 100% in control of all their abilities, all the time.