What is disability?

A person has a disability that is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

For example:

1. Sensory impairments such as being blind or deaf
2. Mobility difficulties and other physical disabilities
3. Learning disabilities and people who are autistic
4. Mental health problems
5. Facial disfigurements
6. Speech impairments
7. Memory problems, such as dementia.
8. Long-term conditions, such as epilepsy, dyslexia and cancer.

It is important to note that the definition can cover illnesses and conditions which some people may not immediately think of as a disability, such as asthma, depression, heart disease or diabetes.

While disability is defined differently for different organisations, the NHS works to the definition provided by the DDA.

The social model of disability

This model recognises that an individual is disabled not by their impairment or medical condition, but by a society which fails to meet their needs.

For example, if an individual is unable to read information provided at an open day because they have a visual impairment, the social model sees the organisation as the problem because they have not provided suitable material that can be read by someone who is visually impaired, such as Braille or large print documents.