Work won't acknowledge my disability and won't make reasonable adjustments

jcoggnats

Hello all , I am 23 now and was diagnosed as a child with EDS I have a couple of different types, currently I am awaiting another MRI scan on my shoulder that dislocates daily, I've already had one shoulder operated on when I was 18, in am wondering if any of you know if EDS is classed as a disability, I am having so many issues with my work at the moment as I've had severe pain and on painkillers daily, they are refusing to acknowledge my condition as a disability and have been reluctant to make any reasonable adjustments for me. I'm just unsure what support I have available and what I should be saying and doing in this awful situation. 

steve51

Hi @jcoggnats

Welcome to our online community/family.

I am one of the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

Here is some info below for you.

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/disability-discrimination-at-work/

Please please let me know if there’s anything that I can help you with?????

@steve51

chiarieds

Hi @jcoggnats - I'd just like to welcome you as someone who also has EDS (the hypermobile type + neurological issues that can be associated with this). There is no longer a classification about disability, & your employers should just take onboard 'Reasonable adjustments.' Please also see Scope's informative link about this: https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/reasonable-adjustments-at-work/

I'm so very sorry to read about about your situation; as a fellow EDSer I wish you well....I know how much EDS can impact on your life, & the daily chronic pain. Please let us know how you get on, & if we can help you you further. My best wishes.

janer1967

Hi and welcome to the community as advised above there is no longer any such thing as being registered disabled, but see the Equality Act which defines what disability means

Disability means a mental or physical condition which has a substantial and long term impact on your ability to do notmal day to day activities. This should be expected to last for 12 months or more

So if your condition fits into this definition then your employer has to consider reasonable adjustments under the Act

There is lots of information here about reasonable adjustments, and any further info required just ask

Chloe_Alumni

Welcome to the community @jcoggnats, how are things going?

dolfrog

@jcoggnats
EDS is not that well known, and there are many different types. You could have a look at my PubMed "Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)" research paper collection at 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1v9jzpUc5t6/collections/41047603/public/ 
which may help provide some detailed information regarding your disability.

chiarieds

@dolfrog - As someone who has EDS, as mentioned above, I would tend to disagree with you. I also think that someone's first port of call should be looking at the information on the Ehlers-Danlos Support UK website (https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/ ), rather than trying to tackle 80 abstracts of papers from 1992-2015 as in the saved search you gave, very many of which will have no relevance whatsoever to the original poster. Also, as our understanding of EDS & some of it's comorbidities are a work in progress, if someone wished to, it would be more relevant looking at up to date information.

davegregson40

Yes once you declare a disability and ask for reasonable adjustments then the employer has a legal duty to consider them under the Equality Act 2010. and you're covered by this legislation from day 1 and during the recruitment process. 

emmarenshaw

Welcome to the community @jcoggnats

davegregson40

employers also have to say why they can make the adjustments. The adjustments themselves are individual and what you request following dialogue, which the employer is obliged to have with you