In the UK, we have a law called the Equality Act 2010 that’s designed to protect people from discrimination. This law covers all sorts of discrimination, including discrimination against Disabled people.
The Equality Act has its own definition of disability. Under this law, you are considered Disabled if you have “a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.”In this case, ‘substantial’ means that it takes longer than it usually would for you to complete day-to-day tasks. And ‘long-term’ means that it has lasted, or is likely to last, 12 months or more. If you struggle with your mental health and it meets these conditions, you might qualify as Disabled under this law. This means legally you can’t be discriminated against based on your mental health.
It’s important to recognise here that discrimination against Disabled people can take many different forms. You can find out more about the different forms of discrimination that Disabled people can face and how the Equality Act protects against them in this guide from Mind.