This field records the disability of a member of staff, on the basis of their own self-assessment

All staff

Disability is recorded on the basis of the member of staff's own self-assessment.

Guidance question: Do you have an impairment, health condition or learning difference that has substantial and long-term impact on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities?

Staff should be asked this question every year.

Definitions:

No known impairment, health condition or learning difference should be returned when the member of staff indicates that they do not have a disability. Where data is requested but not obtained for staff members code 99 should be used rather than 95.

Prefer not to say – staff member doesn’t want to declare the information.

Not available – the provider is not able to get this data in order to send it to HESA.

Under the Equality Act 2010, a person has a disability 'if they have a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities'. 'Substantial' is defined by the Act as 'more than minor or trivial'. An impairment is considered to have a long-term effect if:

• It has lasted for at least 12 months
• it is likely to last for at least 12 months, or
• it is likely to last for the rest of the life of the person.

Normal day-to-day activities are not defined in the Act, but in general they are things people do on a regular or daily basis, for example eating, washing, walking, reading, writing or having a conversation.

Only serious visual impairments are covered by the Equality Act 2010. For example, a person whose eyesight can be corrected through the use of prescription lenses is not covered by the Act; neither is an inability to distinguish between red and green.

The same logic does not apply to hearing aids. If someone needs to wear a hearing aid, then they are likely to be covered by the Act. However, both hearing and visual impairments have to have a substantial adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities in order for a person to be covered by the Act.

HEPs should be aware that when they choose to resurvey their staff then these fields should be updated even if the member of staff declares a disability in the first instance and then not when resurveyed.

Advance HE has a number of resources relating to gathering information across the protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010. If you have any further queries regarding equality monitoring, please view https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/.