Physical or long-term health conditions
Physical or long-term health conditions can impact your work, study and everyday life, including the way you feel and process information. Personalised assessments and coaching can help to understand yourself, validate your experiences, and excel in everyday life. Below are some common questions on physical and long-term health conditions.
What is a physical or long-term health condition?
A physical or long-term health condition is a condition that negatively affects one or more parts of your body, and needs to be managed over a long period, sometimes for the rest of your life. There are often no ‘cures’ for physical or long-term health conditions, but many of them can be managed with the right treatment including medication, physical therapy and psychological therapy (like talking to a counsellor or doing group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Examples of physical or long-term health conditions in the UK:
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune disorders (like celiac or Crohn’s disease)
- Chronic back pain (like herniated discs or spinal stenosis)
- Chronic neurological conditions (like multiple sclerosis)
- Chronic pain (like chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia)
- Post-COVID-19 syndrome (also called long COVID)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Endometriosis
Some physical or long-term health conditions are visible to others, and some are non-visible, or not immediately obvious to others. Sometimes a condition might be visible at times, and non-visible other times (like when a person may use a mobility aid for some journeys, but not others).
People with a non-visible physical or long-term health condition may find it difficult to access the support that they need, because of stereotypes about disability only referring to wheelchair users or older people. But even small changes to aspects of work and learning like flexible hours, remote work, task prioritisation and more time for deadlines can make a significant difference to a person’s productivity and wellbeing.
How do physical or long-term health conditions affect work and learning?
Physical and long-term health conditions don’t just have an impact on certain areas of the body. They can also affect the way we feel and process information. They particularly affect:
- Working and long-term memory
- Communication
- Attention and focus
- Fatigue and energy levels
- Stress levels
- Mood and self-esteem
If a condition involves regular experiences of pain, it is also much harder for someone to focus and remember information when working or learning. All of these functions are necessary for working and learning, so it is important that people with physical or long-term health conditions have the support they need in their personal lives and the places they work or study.
Information about diagnosis of physical and long-term health conditions
How are physical and long-term health conditions diagnosed?
Physical and long-term health conditions are diagnosed by medical professionals. The first person you should contact is your GP, who will talk to you about your symptoms and may refer you to a doctor that specialises in your condition.
Are physical and long-term health conditions considered disabilities?
Under the UK’s Equality Act 2010, a disability is a “physical or mental health condition that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This can include activities inside and outside your home, including preparing for and getting to work and performing the duties of your job.
The definition of ‘long-term’ or ‘chronic’ in healthcare settings may differ from the definition of ‘long-term’ under the Equality Act. For example, chronic low back pain is low back pain that continues without a known cause, or after causes (like injuries) have been treated, for more than 12 weeks. But under the Equality Act, a physical health condition is only considered a disability if it has been present for more than 12 months. The exceptions to this rule are being diagnosed with HIV infection, cancer or multiple sclerosis – after your diagnosis, you are immediately considered disabled.
Some people with physical or long-term health conditions may worry about being associated with the words ‘disability’ or ‘disabled’. They might feel they do not want to take up resources or attention from people with more visible physical disabilities. They might also feel shame, due to social stigma around disabled people and disability.
Many long-term health conditions are referred to as non-visible disabilities. This is because other people may not be able to tell someone has the condition just by looking at them. Some people with long-term health conditions might feel frustrated that the significant impact their disability has on their life isn’t seen or recognised by others because it’s not as obvious as more visible physical disabilities.
Everyone has the right to refer to themselves in ways that feel right to them, to have their experiences validated, and to have reasonable adjustments that ensure they are not substantially disadvantaged as a result of their disability. It is also important to understand that accepting your disability does not mean other Disabled people will lose support, and it doesn’t mean you are admitting to being less capable than non-disabled people.
The social model of disability recognises that people are disabled because of social barriers they face. In other words, if a disabled person has difficulty with something, it is because society has not provided the right solution for them yet. That could be ramp access to a building, flexible working, or it could be educating people (including employers) about how physical and health conditions can affect a person’s ability to work and how their needs can be accommodated.
People with a physical or long-term health condition can excel in work and learning when they are receiving effective healthcare treatment, but there may still be times where symptoms get worse or become more difficult to manage. In these times, reasonable adjustments based on individual needs can make a significant difference. Aim Forward offers private needs assessments that explore the impact of your physical or long-term health condition on different areas of your life, create personalised strategies and recommend assistive technologies for learning and working your way.
Is the menopause considered a disability under the UK Equality Act 2010?
Menopause refers to when periods stop because ovaries are no longer producing eggs, and as a result, the levels of certain hormones decrease – oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Lower levels of these hormones lead to the negative symptoms of menopause. Menopause usually affects women between the ages of 45 to 55. and in some cases, it can start before 45 (referred to as early menopause).
For some women, the symptoms and effects of menopause can be long-term and affect them significantly. Symptoms like severe hot flashes, night sweats, mood disturbances and cognitive difficulties can impact a person’s ability to carry out daily activities and perform at work or in higher education. Despite this, menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
Although the Equality Act 2010 does not make specific references to menopause, employers do have a legal obligation to consider reasonable adjustments to accommodate employees with other related protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, such as:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment (more commonly referred to now as gender affirmation)
- Sex
ACAS is an independent public body that works to improve workplace relationships: they have produced a useful guide for both employees and employers about managing menopause at work, including advice for women who feel they are facing discrimination as a result of their symptoms.
The increase in discussion about menopause is important because as many as 45% of women report that it takes multiple GP appointments to get diagnosed with menopause or perimenopause (the transitional period before menopause). Without a diagnosis, some treatments such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) cannot be accessed, making it more difficult to manage symptoms. Not everyone living through menopause will experience the same symptoms in the same way, but without the right treatment and support, even mild and moderate symptoms can disrupt everyday life.
If you are an employee looking to explore reasonable adjustments for your menopause or perimenopause symptoms, or you’re an employer who wants to support employees through menopause, we offer needs assessments. A needs assessment with Aim Forward can help identify areas where reasonable adjustments are needed at work, create personalised strategies and recommend assistive technologies.
Information about getting support for physical and long-term health conditions
What is a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition?
If you think you may have a physical or long-term health condition, the first person you should contact is your GP, who will talk to you about your symptoms and may refer you to a doctor that specialises in your condition.
If you have already consulted your GP and are receiving treatment for your condition, but feel that you still have trouble at work or when you’re learning, a needs assessment might help bridge that gap.
At Aim Forward, we provide private needs assessments that can explore where you currently excel, and where you need more support. During a needs assessment, you will also work with your assessor to create personalised strategies and decide which assistive technologies might be most likely to work for you.
If you’re employed or a student, a needs assessment report can be incredibly helpful when asking for reasonable adjustments to your work or studies. It clearly explains the areas impacted by your physical or long-term health condition, and the solutions that will help you excel in everyday life.
If you’re self-employed, a needs assessment report can help you approach your business in ways that take into account your physical or long-term health condition needs as well as your ambitions, and have conversations with clients about what you need to produce the best work possible.
What happens during a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition?
In a needs assessment with Aim Forward, you will work with an experienced assessor to understand how your physical or long-term health condition is impacting your work, study and everyday life. Together you will create personalised strategies and practical solutions to help you learn and work your way, whatever life looks like: freelancing, employment, studying A-levels or GCSEs, at college or university.
The needs assessment is personalised to you, but it could cover areas like:
- Reading and research – how well can you temporarily hold and manipulate information in your mind, to interpret and summarise what you find for work or studying?
- Writing and composition – how well can you plan and structure your writing or presentations?
- Meetings, presentations and note-taking – how easy do you find it to stay focused and keep track of what’s happening in meetings or presentations?
- Time management and organisation – how easy do you find it to plan ahead, switch between tasks and keep track of the time?
- Revision and exam preparation – how well can you hold and retain information for future use, particularly during periods of increased fatigue or pain?
- Environment – how easy do you find starting work or staying focused in distracting or ergonomically unsuitable environments?
- Wellbeing – how does your physical or long-term health condition impact your energy levels, mood and self-esteem?
- Potential reasonable adjustments – what changes to the way you work or learn, like having your tasks prioritised, would help you in your day-to-day activities?
It also explores assistive technologies that might support you day-to-day, like:
- Wellbeing and mental health software or apps – helping maintain structure or routine in a busy daily schedule
- Text to speech software – reading content as you hear it spoken to you can help process and retain information
- Speech to text software – letting your ideas flow into words on a page, without worrying about typing or spelling
- Mind mapping software – capturing your ideas quickly, while the software structures documents for you in programmes like Word or PowerPoint to avoid “blank page fear” and procrastination
- Spell-checking software – less time worrying about red lines and more time on content with sophisticated spell-checks
- Grammar checkers – focusing on your content, while the software ensures consistency and professionalism in the text
- Note-taking software and apps – reducing the impact of fatigue or distractions in meetings with automatic note-taking
After your needs assessment, Aim Forward can provide coaching with your assessor to support you in building lasting habits, helping you to adapt and refine your strategies based on what works for you day-to-day.
The ultimate aim of our needs assessments is to provide solutions to shape your future, empowering you with confidence in and knowledge about your abilities so that you can excel in everyday life.
How do I get a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition?
To get a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition with Aim Forward, you simply have to book your appointment with our friendly support team. You do not need to meet specific requirements or show us evidence before you book.
After booking your assessment, we will send you a background questionnaire to complete – this helps give our assessors a big picture of key aspects of your life which might relate to your physical or long-term health condition, including medical history, experiences in working and learning and anything you know you have difficulties with.
Who can request a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition?
Anyone over the age of 16 can have a physical or long-term health condition needs assessment with Aim Forward. You do not need to have a formal diagnosis to have a physical or long-term health needs assessment.
We cannot diagnose physical or long-term health conditions, but we can work with you as an individual to create personalised strategies and recommend assistive technologies for learning and working your way.
How much does a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition cost?
A needs assessment with one of our assessors costs £600 (including VAT). This cost includes your personalised report. Your report will highlight personalised strategies for working and learning your way, as well as any assistive technology recommendations your assessor has discussed with you in the assessment.
How long does a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition take?
A needs assessment with Aim Forward usually takes between 1.5 to 2 hours, but you are able to take breaks whenever you need them. During the needs assessment, you will work with one of our friendly, experienced assessors to understand how your physical or long-term health condition affects your work, studying and everyday life. This is an informal meeting that you don’t need to prepare for, and doesn’t involve any testing: all you need to expect is a structured discussion that will help your assessor understand what strategies and practical solutions might be helpful for you.
What are the benefits of a needs assessment for a physical or long-term health condition?
Understanding how you work best and having personalised strategies to support you can have a lasting, positive impact on how you experience life day-to-day and achieving your goals. Our one-to-one online needs assessments aim to understand how you currently learn and work, then create personalised strategies and recommend assistive technologies that will help you excel.
For over 10+ years we have seen needs assessments transform the way people with physical or long-term health conditions can excel in their studies, work and everyday life, and clients have reported increased:
- Wellbeing
- Productivity
- Career opportunities
- Grades
Our needs assessors hold a variety of disability-specific qualifications, alongside decades of experience working with physical health conditions, mental health conditions and other disabilities including lived experience. This puts us in a unique position to provide needs assessments that recognise co-occurring conditions (where you experience more than one condition at the same time). Over 20% of our needs assessment clients have two or more formally diagnosed conditions, but many more experience undiagnosed traits or symptoms. For example, you may have a diagnosis of chronic back pain, but also be experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our needs assessments focus solely on you and your unique needs.
What is it like having a physical or long-term health condition needs assessment with Aim Foward?
If you’d like a personal perspective on what it’s like to work with us, one of our clients kindly agreed to share their experience: read it here.