A question about disability - how do you define it?

If you Google DDA (disability discrimination act), there should be a direct.gov site that will define the term for you. The DDA itself may define it for purposes of law.

From my understanding it is done on individual basis. i.e. what one person may be able to do whilst suffering a disease another may not.

for example, most cancer sufferers are not classed disabled, but my father due to a variety of factors directly contributed to his cancer means that he is disabled. Although he is able to walk, he is not able to walk very far at all and gets exhausted very quickly and hence his disability status

Can't remember the exact definition, but its something that affects day-to-day life for a period of 12 months or more.

Thankyou all so much for this, it was very useful, sorry I've only just come back to thank you all! x x ?

Under the Disability Discrimination Act cancer is one of the diseases that is automatically covered.

"Some conditions, such as a tendency to set fires and hay fever, are specifically excluded."

What?! ??

Yep, and HIV and MS. In answer to my own question, according to my legal peeps, only a district judge can decide definitively if the impairment falls outside these specific diseases, but so long as the effects of the impairment fall inside the criteria of long term, substantial and affecting day to day activities, then it's highly likely that the person would be found to be disabled and most people who fall under the Act don't have any trouble proving this.

I didnt't know that. Rereading the bit above I see it was brought in in 2005, I'm guessing that it was brought in shortly after father got his inital diagnosis as he had to go through lots of paperwork etc to get classed

HB, I did a Graduate Diploma in Law, finishing this summer just passed. Didn't cover DDA 1995, but as part of the course I had student access to a variety of legal databases - basically the judgments in many cases. Just checked, and surprised to find my access appears to still be live... it can be a bit needle in a haystack, but it means I can search specific terms across 1000s of cases. So for example, I could search 'disability tendency to set fires' - and any case that had all keywords would come up. PM me if there's anything specific you'd like me to search - confidential of course. You never know - might find the result of a previous case. Would only be ones that are recorded in detail though - so higher than a district judge usually. Although - generally higher courts are binding on lower, so that could be a good thing!

I didn't think I could love you more than I do already but I do! ?Cake at mine soon?

MG - do you mind if I PM you as well, please ?