Registering disabled

Something that troubles both employer and employee is whether someone is (or should be) registered disabled. The Disability Discrimination Act has recently been amended to state that all companies have an obligation to support those that are registered disabled, in other word 'a duty of care'. The only employer that is exempt for this law however is the armed forces.

Section A6 of the Equality Act 2010 states:

A6. A disability can arise from a wide range of impairments which can be:

• sensory impairments, such as those affecting sight or hearing;

• impairments with fluctuating or recurring effects such as rheumatoid arthritis, myalgic encephalitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, depression and epilepsy;

• progressive, such as motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, forms of dementia and lupus (SLE);

• organ specific, including respiratory conditions, such as asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, including thrombosis, stroke and heart disease;

• developmental, such as autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), dyslexia and dyspraxia;

• learning difficulties;

• mental health conditions and mental illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia, eating disorders, bipolar affective disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, as well as personality disorders and some self-harming behaviour;

• produced by injury to the body or brain.

(https://www.gov.uk/definition-of-disability-under-equality-act-2010 , 30th May 2013)

This section of the Equality Act 2010 highlights the support that can be available to employees  who have a hidden disability. By registering disabled, an employee will be granted the support they need to carry out the job they are being employed for.  Not only will it help the individual, but it will also help the the employer to build their reputation as a company who cater for the disabled.

As with a lot of things, it is a fear of the unknown that can hinder others' ability to do a job. Being registered disabled does not mean that somebody cannot do the job (and to a very high standard at that too).  However, disabilities are still quite an unknown part of life. There is a lot of work going on at the moment to help build people's awareness and knowledge of what it means to be disabled and to not just cast those aside, but to understand what their problem/problems are and how this cannot only be beneficial to the individual, but to the company as well.

I have thought personally about registering as disabled, but have always had the impression that this just stereotypes you and therefore place a 'tag' on your skills and abilities. However, with the new legislation, this does not seem to be such a problem as nearly every company now has an obligation to cater for those who need help. I think what I am trying to say is, with the whole 'Hidden Opportunities' idea, is that it could make it easier for somebody to gain work if they were registered disabled and could improve a company's reputation. Companies these days have an obligation to cater for the disabled and I feel that somebody with a hidden disability can be a valid and valued asset to them. There could be something such as epilepsy which could register you as disabled, but with careful care and medication this can be kept under control, thus making the individual as competent and skilled as someone who is not registered disabled. This can be more beneficial for the employer as it would help to fill their 'quota' under the DDA, but they would be seen as just another member of staff and not someone who is disabled.