The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
A recent decision in the Employment Appeals Tribunal has clarified the meaning of 'normal day to day activities'.
- According to the Tribunal it refers to activities which are to be found amongst a range of employment situations. It does not cover a specialist skill which could be considered normal in a particular industry.
- In the case before the Tribunal the specialist skills of a policeman could therefore not be considered normal but where the activity was common to a range of workers, such as walking around on a night shift, then it was a 'normal day to day activity'.
Chief Constable of Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary v Adams
