Is Diabetes Considered a Disability?

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the world. According to WHO, the number of people with diabetes increased from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. With so many people with diabetes around, it has become a common question whether diabetes is considered a disability under the law. Well, in India, the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD Act) 2016 does not list diabetes  as one of the recognized types of disabilities. When the Act was being discussed years ago, there was a point when diabetes was suggested as a disability. But the final law did not include it as a disability.

In the USA, the Federal Law accepts diabetes as a disability. Similarly most of the State and local laws also recognize both type 1 and type 2 diabetes as disability. As per the law, the diabetic person can be considered disabled even if the condition is fully managed.

But the question is whether a diabetic can get disability benefits in the USA. Although the law sees diabetes as disability but getting disability benefits is not easy in such cases. The diabetic person must be in serious problem due to the disease in order to be considered for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Uncontrolled diabetes or related symptoms like peripheral neuropathy or poor vision may be seen as cases for providing disability benefits.