For example, if you have a hearing disability, being unable to hold a conversation with someone talking normally in a moderately noisy place would be a bad effect. Being unable to hold a conversation in a very noisy place such as a factory floor would not. If your disability affects your mobility, being unable to travel a short journey as a passenger in a vehicle would be a bad effect. So would only being able to walk slowly or with unsteady or jerky movements. But having difficulty walking without help for about 1.5 kilometres or a mile without having to stop would not.

What does not count as a disability?
Certain conditions are not considered impairments under the DDA:

• lifestyle choices such as tattoos and non-medical piercings
• tendency to steal, set fires, and physical or sexual abuse of others
• exhibitionism and voyeurism
• hayfever, if it doesn’t aggravate the effects of an existing condition
• addiction to or a dependency on alcohol, nicotine or any other substance, other than the substance being medically prescribed.