Who has rights under the Act?
A "disabled person"
The definition of a disabled person used in the Disability Discrimination Act covers a wide range of people, including:
- People with long-term health conditions, such as diabetes
- People with progressive conditions, such as multiple sclerosis
- People who have been diagnosed with HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis
- People with learning disabilities
- People with mental health conditions
- People who have mobility impairments
- Blind and partially-sighted people
- Deaf and hearing-impaired people
This is not a full list. If you are in doubt if someone is covered by the Disability Discrimination Act you can contact the Disability Rights Commission or phone its helpline on 0845 622 633.
Hidden disabilities
It is not always obvious that someone is disabled. Generally you will not know if a person has a ‘hidden’ impairment, such as a heart condition or arthritis, when you first meet them. These people can be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act.
Some people who do not consider themselves as disabled may also be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. This includes people with long-term health conditions, such as diabetes, and older people, who can sometimes think of their impairment as part of ageing.