World Lupus Day

Join us as we shine a light on World Lupus Day 2024, to help raise awareness and educate people on this chronic autoimmune disease and the effects it has on individuals and their families.

What is Lupus?

Lupus is an immune system disorder which causes the body to mistakenly attack healthy parts of itself. It is still a largely misunderstood condition that doctors know quite little about. However, once fatal, lupus is now easier to manage through treatment and medication. 

Lupus can cause a variety of symptoms for the person living with it, such as:

• Skin rashes
• Joint pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Inflammation
• Pain
• Damage to internal organs, especially the heart and kidneys

Treatments for lupus generally include anti-inflammatories, the use of steroids and steroid injections, and hydroxychloroquine. There may be further medications and treatments for those dealing with severe lupus. 

As lupus is a long-term and chronic condition, it greatly impacts the person’s day-to-day life and routine. Many people with lupus may feel like they cannot work or need to take frequent absences. This can cause stress and financial complications.

When is World Lupus Day 2024?

World Lupus Day takes place annually on May 10th. It’s an international event that aims to raise awareness about the chronic autoimmune disease lupus.

The day serves as an opportunity to educate the public, healthcare professionals, and policymakers about the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and impact of lupus on individuals and their families.

It’s also a chance to advocate for better support and resources for those living with lupus. After all, there is still no cure for lupus so promoting research efforts is critical.

World Lupus Day 2024 Events

World Lupus Day 2024 is marked by various activities and initiatives organised by lupus organisations, healthcare institutions, patient advocacy groups, and individuals around the world. 

Lupus UK is a registered charity that empowers individuals living with lupus by providing information, support, and condition management services.

For World Lupus Day 2024, they will be holding several nationwide events, including

10-Day Virtual Challenge (10-20th May)

Set yourself a task to complete every day for 10 days from the 10th to the 20th of May. Some examples of activities you could do include running 5km each day, picking up rubbish in and around your community, or writing a new poem each day, the possibilities are endless!

Take part in the 10-day challenge 👉

Butterfly Project

Draw, paint, and design your very own colourful butterfly and put it in your window for everyone to see. Share your pictures on social media to help raise awareness of lupus.

Download your World Lupus Day butterfly outline 👉

Lunch4Lupus

Hold a fun lunch event with family and friends to raise awareness of lupus and its effects on people suffering from it and their families. You can support the lupus charity with a raffle, auction, or other fundraising event.

Learn more about holding a Lunch4Lupus 👉

Coffee Morning

Have an in-person or online coffee (or tea!) morning with friends, coworkers or family to raise awareness of lupus and support the lupus charity.

For full details of all their events and how you can take part, visit the LupusUK website.

How Employers Can Support People Living with Lupus

Employers must provide an accessible, disability-friendly approach to employment. Many people living with lupus will need reasonable adjustments to be made so they can continue comfortably and safely. 

Working for an accessible employer who easily grants these reasonable adjustments and works to promote a safe, accessible environment for all disabled employees can make a big difference. 

Some reasonable adjustments that an employer can make that would help someone living and working with lupus include

• Offering flexible working hours 
• Offering remote or hybrid working options
• Decreasing workload or sharing work duties
• Increasing break allocations
• Making changes to the physical working environment to help manage pain
• Making exemptions for external training requirements
• Offering paid transport to and from work via the Access to Work scheme 

All of these modifications will help someone with lupus stay in their job for much longer than they could without the support. They can also help decrease absences and increase both employee satisfaction and retention. 

Overall, reasonable adjustments from an accessible employer are the best way forward.

How Careers With Disabilities Can Support People Living with Lupus

Here at Careers with Disabilities, our aim is to connect job seekers with disabilities with disability-positive employers across the UK.

Our site is packed with guidance and support for people with disabilities. Check out our guides for disabled job seekers regarding recruitment, rights, and financial help. 

Browse through our directory of accessible employers and our disability-friendly job board for all the latest opportunities near you. 

Are you an employer? If you’re on the journey to becoming a more inclusive employer, take a look at our specialised employer packages. Our team of experts offer a range of services to support you in becoming more inclusive, accessible, and successful.

Join our network and advertise inclusive job postings on our disability-friendly jobs board to reach a pool of over 10,000 diverse applicants and top talent.