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Is autism a disability?

Deleted user
over 1 year ago

My council had autism on the application form and didn't specify it had to be a certain level in order to be registered disabled with them.

This site refers to autism as a developmental disability:

www.autism.org.uk/.../what-is-autism

This link regarding discrimination throws autism being classed generally (ie unqualified) as a disability into doubt.

I find this rather confusing:

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discrimination/check-if-youre-protected-from-discrimination/what-counts-as-disability/

'The definition is set out in section 6 of the Equality Act 2010. It says you’re disabled if:

  • you have a physical or mental impairment
  • that impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'

Is it a variable thing then according to what you are trying use the disability definition to achieve?

Is this because we are on a spectrum with varying degrees of functionality?

Parents
  • over 1 year ago

    I see my autism as a disability in the same way that I see my height as a disability. If everyone was like me and the world was designed for us, it wouldn't be a problem. As it is, I have to climb the shelves at the supermarket every week, carry something to rest my feet on as I can't reach the ground when sitting in a chair, accept that I can't fully participate in conversations with tall people when we're standing in a noisy environment, accept water damage when I have a plumbing problem as the stopcock in my flat can't be reached by standing on furniture, and be careful around physically large people as they could easily hurt me and there's nothing I could do about it. I similarly need to carry earplugs and ear defenders to manage my sensory needs in loud public places, ask for alternatives to phone calls because I can't process what's being said, and take a lot of time out between activities to recover from being an autistic person in a neurotypical would. These are all tall/NT-created difficulties, not something inherent to me.

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  • over 1 year ago

    I see my autism as a disability in the same way that I see my height as a disability. If everyone was like me and the world was designed for us, it wouldn't be a problem. As it is, I have to climb the shelves at the supermarket every week, carry something to rest my feet on as I can't reach the ground when sitting in a chair, accept that I can't fully participate in conversations with tall people when we're standing in a noisy environment, accept water damage when I have a plumbing problem as the stopcock in my flat can't be reached by standing on furniture, and be careful around physically large people as they could easily hurt me and there's nothing I could do about it. I similarly need to carry earplugs and ear defenders to manage my sensory needs in loud public places, ask for alternatives to phone calls because I can't process what's being said, and take a lot of time out between activities to recover from being an autistic person in a neurotypical would. These are all tall/NT-created difficulties, not something inherent to me.

Children
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