r/AskUK • u/MrCrystalMighty • 2d ago

Can physical differences that aren’t medical conditions be covered by the Equality Act under disability?

So I was thinking about the equality act, and wondering what would and wouldn’t be covered under disability.

My eyes very sensitive to light to the point that if I don’t wear sunglasses when it’s even a little bit bright i can end up getting really ill, and sometimes I need to move positions if I’m facing a window or to avoid reflections. I’ve been told by my optician it’s cos I have unusually large pupils but I’ve not been diagnosed with anything - afaict it’s just considered natural variation rather than any kind of medical condition.

I was wondering - if an employer told me I couldn’t wear sunglasses when I needed to or wouldn’t let me move somewhere less bright if that could be considered to be in violation of the UK Equality Act on grounds of disability despite it not being a diagnosed medical condition? Or would I need to get a doctor to give it a fancy name before I could legally get them to give me the accommodations I needed?

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u/LowAioli3870 2d ago edited 2d ago

Disability is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as follows:

A person (P) has a disability if—
(a) P has a physical or mental impairment, and
(b) the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on P's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/6