Include Narcolepsy with Cataplexy as a disability. · petition

What the petition asks

Narcolepsy and Cataplexy needs to be recognised as a disability because children as young as 7 are being neglected to gain the right support in school’s, personal care and mobility rights. Narcolepsy can have an effect on almost all aspects of daily life and there is no current cure.

Everyday myself and other families are struggling to gain the right support that our children deserve and should be entitled to. Every child should be treated equally especially those with hidden disability’s but sadly they are being left behind. Parents are having to appeal for Disability living allowance, high mobility allowance and even a disabled badge. Narcolepsy is a rare neurological condition that affects the brain's ability to regulate normally. 30,000 people in the UK suffer.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

The Government's guidance on disability under the Equality Act 2010 states that you’re disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. Similarly, eligibility for disability benefits is based on the impact a disability has on a person's life.

It is therefore already the case that people who have narcolepsy, where this has a a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities, would be protected under the Equality Act.

Decisions about making reasonable adjustments for people with a disability are a matter for individual service providers, not the UK Government or Parliament.

You can find out more about disability discrimination here: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/disability-discrimination

Timeline

13 Apr 2022	Petition opened for signatures
19 Apr 2022	Rejected by the Petitions Committee