Check if you're disabled under the Equality Act

Summary

You have an ‘impairment’ if your physical or mental abilities are reduced in some way compared to most people. It could be the result of a medical condition - like arthritis in your hands that means you can’t grip or carry things as well as other people. An impairment doesn’t have to be a diagnosed medical condition. If you’re suffering from stress, you might have mental impairments - like difficulty concentrating - as well as physical impairments such as extreme tiredness and difficulty sleeping. It still has to have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out day-to-day activities. Your impairment doesn’t have to stop you doing anything, as long as it makes it harder. It might cause you pain, make things take much longer than they should or mean that you’re unable to do an activity more than once. Jodi’s been struggling with her mental health since her partner left her a year ago. She can’t plan everyday activities like shopping or following a recipe to cook a meal. She wouldn’t get up and dressed in the mornings if her daughter didn’t encourage her. She’s stopped going out because she doesn’t want to talk to people. Jodi has a mental impairment. It.

Key information

• voyeurism or exhibitionism
• a tendency to set fire to things
• a tendency to steal things
• a tendency to physically or sexually abuse others
• it has a substantial adverse effect when it happens, and
• it could well happen again
• taking longer with everyday tasks like getting dressed, going to the toilet or preparing meals because of pain, if you didn’t take your painkillers
• finding it difficult to go out on your own because of a phobia, physical restriction or learning disability
• being unable to concentrate on watching TV or reading a newspaper because of mental health issues
• finding it difficult to talk to people and avoiding socialising because you are autistic and can’t always understand what people mean
• having seizures which cause you to lose awareness of your surroundings
• being unable to read a book without an aid because of a learning impairment such as dyslexia

Practical guidance

• Source: Check if you're disabled under the Equality Act

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