A disability is defined as

A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on his ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

To have rights under the DDA, an individual must meet this definition or must have met it in the past. Determining whether or not somebody falls under this definition is not always easy, so seek further advice at an early stage.

An impairment affects normal day-to-day activities if it affects one or more of the listed ‘capacities’:

• Mobility
• Manual dexterity
• Physical coordination
• Continence
• Ability to lift, carry or move everyday objects
• Speech, hearing or eyesight
• Memory or ability to concentrate, learn or understand
• Perception of risk or physical danger