Disabled? Me?

I've been brooding on this one a bit...

Today, I finished filling in a job application. One of the forms I had to complete was an "employment form". this included equal opportunities questions (which I find rude in the extreme, as well as totally irrelevant to my ability to do a job - why does my marital status contribute to that, I wonder?) One of the questions asked me if I consider myself disabled in any way. Of course I don't!

But then I looked at the notes that accompanied the form. Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, they told me, is automatically considered disabled. Well, to me, that's discrimination - cleverly concealed, but discrimination nevertheless. I, as we all know, have been diagnosed with cancer - and treated for it. I am not disabled in any way. My ex-condition does not affect my ability to work.So why should I be automatically considered as disabled? This, I think, is extremely offensive. If I were disabled, I would have no problem in declaring this fact, but my point here is that there are people who are really disabled, and it isn't fair on them that someone like me should be treated in the same way. I don't need 'reasonable adjustments' to be made for me, but if I'm considered disabled, then I could be taking something away from someone who could really benefit.

I was so horrified at the implications of this statement - automatically considered disabled - that I called the organisation I was applying to in order to clarify what their policy was. It seems that they hadn't been asked that question before; perhaps people who've been diagnosed with cancer are either so startled to be automatically labelled as disabled that they don't bother to apply at all, or they don't object. Anyway, I did object. I explained my situation; I have had cancer, I am, as my specialist nurse has told me more than once, no longer a person with cancer. I am, therefore, not disabled in any way. The HR person I spoke to became flustered and agreed with me that I probably wasn't disabled. She suggested that she phoned the occupational health department and asked for their view on my condition. Five minutes later, she called me back; there was no need for me to declare my "condition", but I should make a note on the form to say that we had discussed this.

What is going on? While I applaud the fact that a disability does not any longer bar the way to work, surely pigeonholing everyone who's experienced a certain type of illness - cancer, in this case - is madness! I was once told that I'd been employed for a post because I was "female and under 35"; I was offended then. I am equally offended to be considered "disabled" simply because I once had cancer.

How VERY dare they!