1..What is disability?

A disability is any continuing condition that restricts everyday activities.

The Disability Services Act (1993) defines ‘disability’ as meaning a
disability:

which is attributable to an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive,

neurological, sensory or physical impairment or a combination of those
impairments
which is permanent or likely to be permanent
which may or may not be of a chronic or episodic nature
which results in substantially reduced capacity of the person for
communication, social interaction, learning or mobility and a need for
continuing support services.

With the assistance of appropriate aids and services, the restrictions

experienced by many people with a disability may be overcome.

Types of disability

The main categories of disability are physical, sensory, psychiatric,

neurological, cognitive and intellectual. Many people with disability
have multiple disabilities.

A physical disability is the most common type of disability, followed by

intellectual and sensory disability. Physical disability generally relates to
disorders of the musculoskeletal, circulatory, respiratory and nervous
systems.

Sensory disability involves impairments in hearing and vision.

Neurological and cognitive disability includes acquired disability such

as multiple sclerosis or traumatic brain injury. Intellectual disability
includes intellectual and developmental disability which relate to
difficulties with thought processes, learning, communicating,
remembering information and using it appropriately, making judgments
and problem solving. Intellectual disability is the result of interaction
between developmentally attributable cognitive impairment, attitudinal
and environmental barriers.

Psychiatric disorders resulting in disability may include anxiety

disorders, phobias or depression.

2…What is a disability?

A disability may be generally defined as a condition which may restrict

a person's mental, sensory, or mobility functions to undertake or perform
a task in the same way as a person who does not have a disability.

It does not mean that a person with a disability is unable to perform all
the important requirements of a job and exceed the expectations of their
employer.

Disabilities affect people in different ways. Many people associate the

'disabled' with someone who is in a wheelchair, or who is blind or deaf.
They have the attitude that people with a disability are totally different
and therefore need to be treated differently. Unfortunately, this kind of
stereotyping is in itself a form of discrimination.

People with a disability come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colours, sex

and cultures - just as we all do. The only thing that separates a person
with a disability is that, for one reason or another, they are unable to do
certain things in the same way as the mainstream of society. They may
require some form of adaptation or alteration to assist them to overcome
the effect of their disability.

A person's disability is always specific to that person.

A Disability is generally a condition either caused by accident, trauma,
genetics or disease, which may restrict a person's mental processes,
senses or mobility.

A Handicap is a physical or attitudinal constraint imposed on a person

regardless of whether or not that person has a disability.

In the context of employment, someone may have a disability, but it may

not be a handicap to them performing the job.

Types of disability

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) identifies and defines the

following categories of disability:

Physical - affects a person's mobility or dexterity

Intellectual - affects a person's abilities to learn
Psychiatric - affects a person's thinking processes
Sensory - affects a person's ability to hear or see
Neurological - results in the loss of some bodily or mental functions

Also included are disabilities resulting from physical disfigurement or

from the presence of organisms causing or capable of causing disease in
the body.

3…Acquired Disabilities

While some disabilities may be more frequent in one population that in

another, this is not always the case with acquired disabilities. These are
types of disabilieis that can occur at any time without regard to gender or
ethnicity. Examples of acquired disabiliteis include but are not limited
to:

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Spinal Cord Injury
Multiple Sclerosis
Alzheimer's Disease
Developmental Disabilites
These are congenital abnormailities or diseases which disrupt or delay
the rate of growth, development or maturation in a certain individual.
Sometimes these are referred to as "learning disabilities" but are not
limited to only learning. Examples of developmental disabilites include
but are not limited to:

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Dyslexia
Down's Syndrom or Mental Retardation
Learning Disorder
Learning Disability
Physical Disabilities
These disabilities are typically apparent at birth. Examples of physical
developmental disabilties include but are not limited to:

Cerebral Palsy
Spina Bifida
Cystic Fibrosis
Down's Syndrome

4…What is a Disability?

Definition

When most people think of the word "disability" they immediately

picture someone in a wheelchair. But there are many different types of
disability.

People with a disability may include:

people who are blind or partially sighted

people with learning or intellectual disabilities
people who are deaf or hearing impaired
people with a physical disability
people with long term illnesses
people with mental health or psychological difficulties
people with an acquired brain injury

According to the World Health Organisation, a disability is…

"any restriction or lack (resulting from any impairment) of ability to

perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal
for a human being"
A disability includes those that:

are present, or
once existed but don't any more, for example, a person who has had a
back injury, a heart attack or an episode of mental illness, or
may exist in the future, for example, a person with a genetic
predisposition to a disease, such as Huntington's disease or heart disease
or a person who is HIV positive, or
someone thinks or assumes a person has.
It is likely that some of the young people who already use your service
are young people with disabilities.

Terminology

"Language is critical in shaping and reflecting our thoughts, beliefs,

feelings and concepts. Some words by their very nature degrade and
diminish people with a disability"

The term "disabled young person" tends to convey a message that the
only thing worth mentioning about a person is their disability. It is
better to say "young person with a disability" as this emphasises the
person first without denying the reality of the disability.
Terms such as cripple, spastic, handicapped, invalid are derogatory,
offensive and you should avoid them.

Sometimes people with a disability are compared to normal people. This

implies that the person with a disability is abnormal and ignores the fact
that everyone has their own unique identity and abilities. For
comparisons you could say other people instead.

The Definition Of Disability

The most commonly cited definition is that of the World Health

Organisation in 1976(1), which draws a three-fold distinction between
impairment, disability and handicap, defined as follows. 'An impairment
is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical
structure or function; a disability is any restriction or lack (resulting
from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or
within the range considered normal for a human being; a handicap is a
disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or a
disability, that prevents the fulfilment of a role that is considered normal
(depending on age, sex and social and cultural factors) for that
individual'.

According to activists in the disability movement, the World Health

Organisation has confused between the terms 'disability' and
'impairment'. They maintain that impairment refers to physical or
cognitive limitations that an individual may have, such as the inability to
walk or speak. In contrast, disability refers to socially imposed
restrictions, that is, the system of social constraints that are imposed on
those with impairments by the discriminatory practices of society.

Thus, the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation defined

impairment and disability in the following manner. An 'impairment [is]
lacking part of or all of a limb, or having a defective limb, organism or
mechanism of the body'. 'disability [is] the disadvantage or restriction of
activity caused by contemporary organisation which takes no or little
account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes
them from the mainstream of social activities'(2).

According to the United Nations Standard Rules on the equalization of

Opportunities for Persons with disabilities:

The term "disability" summarizes a great number of different functional

limitations occurring in any population in any country, of the world.
People may be disabled by physical, intellectual or sensory impairment,
medical conditions or mental illness. Such impairments, conditions or
illnesses may be permanent or transitory in nature.
The term "handicap" means the loss or limitation of opportunities to take
part in the life of the community on an equal level with others. It
describes the encounter between the person with a disability and the
environment. The purpose of this term is to emphasize the focus on the
shortcomings in the environment and in many organized activities in
society, for example, information, communication and education, which
prevent persons with disabilities from participating on equal terms.
The use of the two terms "disability" and "handicap", as defined in the
two paragraphs above, should be seen in the light of modern disability
history. During the 1970s there was a strong reaction among
representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities and
professionals in the field of disability against the terminology of the
time. The terms "disability" and "handicap" were often used in an
unclear and confusing way, which gave poor guidance for policy-
making and for political action. The terminology reflected a medical and
diagnostic approach, which ignored the imperfections and deficiencies
of the surrounding society.
In 1980, the World Health Organization adopted an international
classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps, which
suggested a more precise and at the same time relativistic approach. The
International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and
Handicaps(3) makes a clear distinction between "impairment",
"disability" and "handicap". It has been extensively used in areas such as
rehabilitation, education, statistics, policy, legislation, demography,
sociology, economics and anthropology. Some users have expressed
concern that the Classification, in its definition of the term "handicap",
may still be considered too medical and too centred on the individual,
and may not adequately clarify the interaction between societal
conditions or expectations and the abilities of the individual. Those
concerns, and others expressed by users during the 12 years since its
publication, will be addressed in forthcoming revisions of the
Classification.
As a result of experience gained in the implementation of the World
Programme of Action and of the general discussion that took place
during the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, there was a
deepening of knowledge and extension of understanding concerning
disability issues and the terminology used. Current terminology
recognizes the necessity of addressing both the individual needs (such as
rehabilitation and technical aids) and the shortcomings of the society
(various obstacles for participation).