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Life with a disability

Disabled people are often talked about as though they form one group, but every disabled

person faces different challenges and health conditions.Watch a video on living with disability

The Equality Act 2010defines a disabled person as anyone who has a physical or mental impairment

that has a substantial and long-term adverse affect on his or her ability to carry out day-to-day

activities. These impairments include

loss of limbs

multiple sclerosis

heart disease

!own"s syndrome

learning difficulties

mental health problems# such as depression and an$iety

%lder people are more li&ely to develop a disability and most disabled people are adults. 'ore than 10

million people in the () are disabled# **0#000 of whom are children.

'ore people are living with a disability now than in the past because we"re living longer# and improved

medical treatments are enabling more people to manage long-term health problems. The Equality and

+uman ,ights ommission says that / of people over 0 will have a long-term health condition by

2020.

Independence with the right support

!isabilities of any &ind present challenges# but this doesn"t mean that life with a disability can"t be

fulfilling.

or most people# a fulfilling life means having control over their day-to-day activities and being able to

choose how they live.

'ore than one million disabled people live alone in the ()# and many more lead independent lives

with help. To learn more about independent living with a disability# read the article on !isability and

independent life.

or a lot of people# independent life also means being employed. +alf of the ()"s disabled people are

in obs# but it should be more. ,ead 3or& and disabilityto learn more.

%nly 1* of disabled people are born with their disability. 'ost disabled people have had to adust to

their disability as adults. 4ou can learn more about this inAdusting to disability.

Caring for carers

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Lifewithdisability.aspx#videohttp://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/equality-act/http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Independent.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Independent.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Disabilityandwork.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Adjusting.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Adjusting.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Lifewithdisability.aspx#videohttp://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/equality-act/http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Independent.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Independent.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Disabilityandwork.aspxhttp://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Disability/Pages/Adjusting.aspx

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5t"s not ust disabled people who are challenged by disability# but also the people who care for them.

The term 6carer6 describes people who care for others on an unpaid basis# as opposed to people

who are paid# such as care wor&ers and home helps.

There are 7 million carers in the (). 5f you"re one of them# you may be entitled to support# such as

help with caring# home adaptations and equipment# and short brea&s from caring.

There8s lots of practical advice as well as financial# legal and rights information for carers available

from thearers !irectwebsite or on freephone 0/0/ /02 0202.

Living with a disability

5n this video# Tim# elia# )ate and 9eter share their stories and describe how they found their own way to cope

with their disability.

'edia last reviewed 20:0/:201;