International Day of Persons with Disability - Hidden Disabilities

Rendel is marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2021. We will be holding a lunchtime seminar focussing on hidden disabilities and the impact that these have on the everyday lives of so many of us at work and in our private lives.

The Equality Act 2010 defines a person as being disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities. Within the definition ‘substantial’ means more than minor or trivial. For example, it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed. ‘Long-term’ means 12 months or more. For example, a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection.

Hidden disabilities include suffering from one or more of the following list conditions. This list is not fully comprehensive and there are other conditions which are also included which have not been listed here:

• Autism
• Brain injuries
• Crohn’s disease
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Chronic pain
• Cystic fibrosis
• Depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other mental health conditions
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Fibromyalgia
• HIV/AIDS
• Insomnia
• Learning difficulties, including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, and language processing disorder
• Lupus
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Visual and auditory disabilities. These may be invisible if someone wears contact lenses and a hearing aid, for example