Different Kinds of Physical Handicaps

Physical disabilities are problems with the body that restrict what a person can do, which can be in terms of physical movement or the ability to interpret information. Often a physical disability results in the person having to use aids such as wheelchairs to move around. Levels of disability also affect how much the disabled person can do.

Spinal Injury
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A spinal injury is the result of a trauma to the spinal cord that interferes with the motor and/or sensory functions in areas below the level of injury. The injury can be complete (loss of motor and sensory function below the level of injury) or incomplete (some loss of motor and/or sensory function below the level of injury). Spinal injuries can be caused by trauma, Polio, Multiple Sclerosis or Spina Bifida. Injuries are classified by the level in the spine they affect, for example "T-10 Complete." "Quadraplegic" (Tetraplegic) refers to paralysis from the shoulders down. "Paraplegic" is paralysis from T-1 (chest level) down.

Amputation
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The loss of a limb often comes from amputation. In the USA there are approximately 43,000 amputations each year according to DDI. Amputations below the knee (BK) or "Bilateral BK" (both legs) account for most amputations. Subjects with BK adapt better to prosthetic limbs. Above knee (AK) amputations have more difficulty adapting to prosthesis and generally use a crutch or wheelchair. Upper extremity (arms) amputees adapt best to the disability. Causes of amputations include a job or war injury, maligmant tumor or loss of adequate blood supply to an area. The correct term for the remaining portion of the limb used by doctors and patients alike is a "stump." Sponsored Links

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Visually Impaired
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The sense of sight provides the most efficient source of information with 84 percent of all information received coming through vision. Sight impairment can be caused by the cornea (lens) of the eye becoming clouded, the retina becoming infected or detached and destroying the optic nerve, direct damage to the optic nerve or the visual centers of the brain developing a trauma, stroke or disease. In terming vision, perfect vision is referred to as "20/20" and "20/200" is legally blind. Two types of partial blindness are tunnel vision, when the person only has the ability to see straight ahead, and loss of visual acuity (near or far sightedness). Some people who are legally blind may still have some form of vision.

Hearing Impaired
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A loss of hearing occurs when there is an interference with the transmission of sounds through the ear to the brain. The causes for this include structural damage to the external ear and eardrum or diseases of the inner ear destroying the nerve endings. The ability to hear is registered in decibels with normal conversation being held at 60 decibels. A 40- to-60 decibel loss of hearing results in difficulty in hearing while an 80 decibel loss is termed as profound. Hearing aids can help, but they only assist in providing volume, not pitch, and thus cannot interpret all sounds, meaning most individuals resort to sign language.