The Healthy Celiac Podcast

Is Celiac Disease a Disability? Ep. 92

January 16, 2023 Belinda Whelan Season 1 Episode 92
The Healthy Celiac Podcast
Is Celiac Disease a Disability? Ep. 92
Show Notes Transcript

If you've seen Celiac Disease referred to as a disability or been asked on a job enrollment form about Celiac, you may be wondering why.
In today's episode I'm covering off this in further detail.

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Speaker 1:

Now many people with celiac disease don't know this, but once you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, depending on which country you live in, you are most likely covered by the disability act of your country. Now I'm going to be sharing with you the Disability Act of Australia and also USA just to show you how it is that you are covered. Now, many people don't think that living with celiac disease is a disability, and when we think of disabilities, I guess it it's more that we don't think that it stops us from doing too much in that matter. I guess that's probably why most people don't think of celiac disease as a disability. So some people are finding when they're applying for a new job that they need to tick the box about having celiac disease and it's coming under a disability and people are getting upset about this and they're not ticking that box, or they're questioning why celiac disease is showing as a disability. Now, most jobs, it should not affect you to have celiac disease. It shouldn't matter at all. You should be able to do your job fine. It's only when you've been glutened that you shouldn't be feeling able to do your job. Now, that's in any instant with anyone. If they get unwell, they can't do their job. But in some positions, you actually cannot have that job if you have celiac disease. I'll give you one example. The armed forces, most of the armed forces do not employ people that have got celiac disease. And you might think that's rough or that's unfair, but I want you to think about it in the matter of if you had to go to war, it would be very hard to cater for you, it would be very hard for the armed forces to make sure that you have safe food when you are on the front line. It's as simple as that, and it's just to protect you moving forward. So in that instance, I can see where they would not want to employ you. That makes complete sense. Whereas if you were applying to be a police officer, for example, it should not stop you from doing your job. You should be able to go and do your job as a police officer no matter what. It shouldn't matter that you have celiac disease. It should not stop you from doing your work and doing the best of your ability in that role. You may still need to tick that box that you have celiac disease and it may come under the disability section. But I want you to think about it that it's not a bad thing. An employer is generally not going to not employ you because you have celiac disease. So if you don't tick that box, it shouldn't make a difference. It shouldn't make any difference whatsoever to whether they employ you or not. But let's just say for instance, you were going for a job as an administrator

Speaker 2:

And you work in a very busy workplace. You have a very busy office space and you never told your employer that you have celiac disease. And then as time goes on, they aren't catering for you when they have functions or if they have, you know, catering brought in for meetings or things like that. You will not be looked after and you probably shouldn't be looked after because you haven't been truthful. You haven't told your employer that you have celiac disease. But if you told them straight away that yes, you have celiac disease, yes they will need to make some certain accommodations for you, but in general it doesn't affect you. It doesn't affect your daily life, it doesn't affect you from doing your job. You do need to eat differently to other people, but you can still work. You can still do your job unless you get sick. So if your workplace makes you sick, they are not liable. They have not made any mistakes because you haven't told them that you've got celiac disease. Does that make sense? I hope that's not too harsh. I hope that that's helping. You see why some employers are asking this question and they want to know it could simply be so that they can look after you and do the best for you. Sometimes I think we get such, I guess we get worried that people are judging us or worrying that people are looking down on us because we are different or because we need to be accommodated before most people, I believe, are truly good and they want to support us and they want to make things better for us. So if you've come across a workplace that is asking this question, ask them back, why do you need to know this information? Is this going to stop me from getting the job or is this to put steps into place to keep me safe? I'm really curious. I'd love to know. You have every right to ask that question why they're asking you the question. So don't be shy. Don't hold yourself back from wondering these things in life. You can ask the question. You have every right to do so. So if you are going for a new job or you know someone that has gone for a job and they've told you that that box was there to tick, this could be simply the reason. Now I just wanna read to you some information from the Disability Discrimination Act from 92 and also the Americans with Disability Acts of 1990, just so that you can get your head around how this works for you. Now, this is great because it actually keeps us protected and looked after in the workplace. So if you think about it, some people do say they get bullied at work, they get picked on, people have messed with their food, they have made them sick on purpose to test whether they really have celiac disease. You have rights and you are protected. Okay? So that's why this is important to know this stuff because if these things are happening to you, you don't have to quit your job, you don't have to walk away from that workplace. You stand up for yourself and you make sure that you are looked after. So this is where these acts come into place. So I'm gonna read'em to you

Speaker 3:

Very quickly, just so you understand. Now, let's start with the first one, which is the Australian one. So in Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 prohibits harassment in the workplace based on or linked to a person's disability or the disability of an associate Disability in relation to a person means the presence in the body of organisms causing disease or illness. We are protected. We are to be looked after. I think it's fantastic. I love that this is covered for us Aussies in the workplace. Now let's listen to the USA one. In the usa, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 states, the definition of disability has been modified to include those with severe allergies. I know it's not an allergy, but we are just, we still fall under this. Now, this is because severe allergies are a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, eating, breathing, and major bodily functions related to the immune digestive, bowel and respiratory system. So you are covered if you're in the USA as well. It's very interesting. It's fantastic if you ask me. I think it's wonderful that this is covered off and you have rights. So I hope that gives you a little insight if you have been picked on, if you've been bullied, if you have not been looked after in the workplace, or you're simply just curious why we fall under the disability app. So that's my insight on that and I hope that it helps someone who's listening to this episode to learn more. And as always, if you have any questions or any topics that you want me to cover off on any future episodes, please shoot me through a message over on Instagram at the Healthy Celiac or you can send me an email info belinda wheeler.com and I'll be sure to take your ideas on board. So thanks so much for tuning in and I look forward to talking with you again very, very soon. Take care. Bye.