What is a disability?

The definition of disability -The Equality Act 2010 

Under the Equality Act 2010, you are disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.  

What ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ mean:  

• ‘substantial’ is more than minor or trivial, e.g., it takes much longer than it usually would to complete a daily task like getting dressed  
• ‘long-term’ means 12 months or more, e.g., a breathing condition that develops as a result of a lung infection  

 

Why do I have to provide evidence of a disability? 

Some of the support that you can receive at University, because of a disability, is classified as ‘reasonable adjustments’. Reasonable adjustments are an entitlement under law (The Equality Act, 2010) if you meet the definition of having a disability. The evidence you provide is how you prove you have a disability.