Three cheers for King Charles for telling us about his cancer. It’s taken enormous courage and bravery to acknowledge his diagnosis, the treatment and the impact on his life.
Many millions of other people know about getting a life-changing health condition too.
But will the King be eligible for his Blue Badge? He’ll need to apply along with the rest of us and provide the right medical evidence. Perhaps a Disabled Rail Card for cheaper train tickets is more up his street? Regardless, he now gets protection from discrimination and harassment under the Equality Act – always useful.
For example, he’s either self-employed or the CEO of the Windsor Firm. He’s obviously already asked for reasonable adjustments at work (no public performances, less red boxes, no ceremonial uniforms etc) and, if pushed, could even suggest some form of job change.
According to the Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 1), cancer is a disability.
Welcome to the club, Your Majesty. You are just the figurehead we need to show that a physical or mental health condition needn’t bring life to a grinding halt. Please pass the message on to Government Departments, businesses and the voluntary sector: if you can get fast treatment and reasonable adjustments, the rest of us should too.
Just today, amazing how health and disability feature across the News: the King; women with defective pelvic implants and children damaged in the womb by mothers’ epilepsy medication; vast numbers injured in Gaza; desperate queueing for NHS care in dental deserts; manufacturers concealing the unhealthiness of their junk food; young people ‘s mental health conditions due to smart phones/the internet. Every one of these topics translates into more people with disabilities and yet we struggle to get the treatment we need, the support we need.