Published on 12, July, 2020
Like many people who have been shielding during the pandemic, eating too much and not getting enough exercise I have been thinking about joining a local gym as they've started to re-open. There is one that has concessionary fees which includes a discounted rate for having a disability, but to be eligible you must have one of the following:
PIP (Personal Independence Payment)
Disability Working Allowance for over 60s
Employment & Support Allowance
Disability Living Allowance
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Disabled Person’s Tax Credit
Blue Badge (parking)
I don't have any of these at this stage and they don't count your diagnosis letter as evidence, has anyone else been in this or a similar situation where official bodies don't recognise Autistic people has having a disability? Also, have any organisations that represent Autistic people done anything about it?
Thanks.
This is a common approach to a lot of discounts. For example, many places won't accept institutional student ID and will only accept an NUS card for student discount.
In relation to disability, if companies focused on the label rather than the impact it has on someone's life that means a significant part of the population would be eligible for a discount. For example, they reckon 1 in 10 have an SpLD, such as dyslexia, 1 in 4 have MH conditions that are often classed as disability under the Equality Act.