Are you Disabled ???????

Do you define yourself as disabled because you have a PM ?

I never considered it before, but I recently had an occupational health medical and the nurse said 'Oh you have a PM' well that is a disability.

Her logic was, if it was removed tomorrow could you undertake a full life with normal activities?

So, looking at it that way the I presume we are classed as disabled.

A lot of companies in the UK now advertise vacancies, that guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the person spec so maybe thats a plus point of it being defined as a disability.

Anybody got any views on this????

9 Comments

PM & Employment

by SMITTY - 2009-07-31 06:07:26

Hello Tom,

I have a question for those people that say we are disabled if we have a pacemaker. What woud you say if we have a knee replacement, artificial hip or sight that is 20/40 without glasses, to name a few? Well a pacemaker is nothing more than a device to help out one of the body's organs. Sure it is an organ that we can not live without, but having a pacemaker does not automatically mean that our heart will stop functioning without a pacemaker. Don't you realize you have employees that woud be much more productive employees if they had a pacemaker, and they, nor you, even know it yet.

For more than 90% of the people with a pacemaker it is not a life saving device, it is a device that makes them live better and one that will make them able to do more things in life, just like that knee replacement, artificial hip or those glasses. The stigma that goes with getting a pacemaker is wrong, wrong, wrong and I hope any of you that are ever are faced with such prejudice that will let that person know that.

I truly hope--- no let me rephrase that. Anyone in this world that is a position to think they can pass judgement on me, will never for get the day that they tell me I am disabled because I have a pacemaker! They can say I am disabled because tests show I have heart disease, but that pacemaker does not automatically say I have heart disease.

I had bypass surgery 27 years ago and I was looked upon as being less that 100% and turned down for a couple of jobs. Well I have outlived some of those people that said no way when it came to hiring me. In fact I've outlived at 75% of the people I worked with that are in my age bracket. A couple of them "dropped dead" from a heart attack. In each case they needed the benefit of bypass surgery, but they never knew it.

I'm not saying no one should ever be turned down for employment for health reason. But all of you (it cant bother me one way or the other) should not be lumped into a group of people that are unemployable just because you have a pacemaker.

Smitty

patch

by jessie - 2009-07-31 07:07:45

am i an enabler is that what you are saying. haha if so will stop that behavior immediately... j had his ekg and u.s. to-day no change. doc told him to lose 35 pounds but he is not ready to deal with that. he is skinny all over with a big gut . doesn't drink or smoke tho so he gets crabby just thinking about a diet. so smitty good for you. good attitude. it is like the guy was toold by his dr. to quit drinking or he would be dead in 3 months. he is still here and the dr. is dead. haha we just never know. i agree we are not disabled just becasue we have a device. jessie

Army point of view

by wrholder - 2009-07-31 10:07:58

In the Army or VA system a PM is considered a disability an by 10% to 100% depending on case.

????????????

by pete - 2009-08-01 03:08:34

I think I would have replied to the medical staff " are you crippled" to which they would answer no. I would then say, right lets go out side and run aruond the hospital and see who falls down first. Pacemaker patients should try to think of themselves as "ENABLED" not "DISABLED" Cheers Peter

NO, but.....

by TLR - 2009-08-01 06:08:37

We are covered under the Disabilty Discrimination Act, not strictly because of the PM but because we have a condition that would affect our day to day activities had it not been fitted. Nothing in the Act says we need it to stay alive, just that things like crossing a road would require a care element due to uncontrolled blackouts, or driving would now be illegal via the DVLA revoking a licence due again to uncontrolled blackouts.
Under the Act our employers have a legal duty, where practicable, to take measures to ensure our role and workplace are suitable for our medical requirements. Personally, I don't see it as a bad thing.
On the other hand if you wish to claim disability benefits you would need to prove you still have mobilty or care issues even after the fitting of the PM. Likewise for a blue parking badge.
Sorry, I can't help but cringe when I hear ENABLED NOT DISABLED, that is the sort of thing I have heard from all manner of disabled groups on my lifetime. I understand what you mean but still it makes me cringe.
My work colleagues and family and friends all thought I was some kind of invalid after hearing I had a PM fitted, I like to think I have educated a few people by carrying on as I was before I had it.

Not here

by Blueaustralia - 2009-08-01 07:08:23

Here in Oz having a pacemaker is not considered a disability I asked my sp if I could be considered for a parking permit and was told that I was not eligible.

I think that we have been enabled but there are times when I feel that I just cannot push the cart or carry the shopping for a great distance.

Cheers.

WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

by Hot Heart - 2009-08-03 09:08:44

DISABLED!!!! DEFINITELY NOT!!!! Obviously there are people on here who have varying heart problems some of whom are disabled because of them, but having a pacemaker definitely doesnt make someone disabled.

I hardly know any other 56 year old who does as much as I do, everyone is always saying for goodness sake slow down a bit. BUT.............why should I? lol

My daughter and I have just had a manic weekend in London, you know the sort of weekend you have when you are about 21! lol. I was shattered, but there again, so was she! lol

Disabled, nah not me!!!!!

HH

It all depends on your health issues...

by tcrabtree85 - 2009-08-03 12:08:52

Having a pacemaker does not make me disabled at all. My condition itself that takes energy and the other health problems that come along with it is exactly what cause me problems.
I am one who is fighting for disability but not because of my pacemaker but because I lack the energy to do things like a normal 23 year old should be able to do. The pacemaker itself keeps me funcitioning but the other things that go wrong with my heart and not being able to breathe well are what cause me problems.
I guess I look at it this way are you living what you would consider a normal life for you? If so then why would you want to classify yourself as disabled or let another?
I hope you get the answers that you want.

Tammy

Cabg Patch

by TLR - 2009-08-05 07:08:52

Please don't tell me I don't know the definition of disabled, things may be different in the USA but in the UK where myself and the OP are from we have a legal definition of disabled for purposes of the DDA. Websters may be great but I'm afraid the legal definition in this country is just that, legal, and it is this wording that decides by means of a court's decision if you have legal rights of protection under the Act. Frankly I'm quite offended by the comment comparing me to the businesses as I spent 6 months 'battling' my employer to continue my role as police firearms so I like to think I know a bit about it and how to apply the DDA. The law in the UK, specifically the DDA, prohibits refusal of employment simply for having a PM fitted, of course the company in question has the right to question the suitability of the applicant for the role by following professional medical advice and an appropriate medical appointment/investigation.
If you re-read my post again you will see that I said it wasn't the pacemaker that was the cause of the disability it was the heart condition it was placed for, so yes I agree about the glasses similarity, and indeed it was this exact similarity I used to get back to my job. In fact I said we were not disabled per se but we were covered under the Act.
Please don't take my tone as arguementative or aggressive, maybe you read my post wrong, or maybe I read yours wrong, or maybe its simply a UK/USA thing.
As for the cringe factor, well....as I said I understand what is meant and it is true but I have heard that from a paraplegic (sp???) who had just got a new wheelchair and they are ENABLED, not me with a poxy heart condition and a PM that means I can run up stairs, I can ride a bike and I can play football with my kids all of which they still can't.

You know you're wired when...

Your license plate reads “Pacer4Life”.

Member Quotes

In fact after the final "tweaks" of my pacemaker programming at the one year check up it is working so well that I forget I have it.