Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the extent of disability discrimination against those with (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes; and what steps are being taken to address disability discrimination for people with diabetes.

The Government Equalities Office does not monitor the relative incidence of discrimination against people with different disabilities and health conditions.

The Equality Act 2010 provides protection from disability discrimination to all those who meet its definition of disability: ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities’.

It does not, except in a few specific instances, list conditions that fall within this definition. Instead in most cases, the impact on the person’s life is the qualifying criteria for determining a disability rather than the condition itself.