DISABILITY

CONTENTS

• Definition of Impairment, Handicap and Disability

• Difference between impairment, handicap and disability
• Causes of disability
• Types of disability
• Early detection of disabilities and developmental disorders,
• Prevention of disabilities- Types and levels
IMPAIRMENT, DISABILITY AND HANDICAP
• Impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure and
function, e.g. loss of foot, defective vision or mental retardation

• Because of impairment, the affected person may be unable to carry out certain activities considered as
normal for his age, gender, etc.

• A Disability is any restriction or lack (resulting from impairment) of ability to perform an activity in
the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being

• Because of disability, the person experiences certain disadvantages in day to day living; is unable to
fulfill the obligations required of him and play the role expected of him in society

• A Handicap is a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting in an impairment or disability that limits
or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal (depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors)
for that individual
 Accident..................................................Disease or Disorder
Loss of foot ...........................................Impairment
Cannot walk ..........................................Disability
Unemployed ..........................................Handicap

Disease or Disorder
Impairment Disability Handicap
Cataract……………………………………Disease or Disorder
Defective vision...........................................Impairment
Inability to read or move around..................Disability
Exclusion from school..................................Handicap

Disease/ Disorder Impairment Disability Handicap

Causes of Disability

1. Inherited (Genetically transmitted)

2. Congenital, meaning caused by a mother’s infection or other disease during pregnancy, embryonic or fetal
developmental irregularities, or by injury during or soon after birth

3. Acquired, such as conditions caused by illness or injury

4. Of unknown origin
TYPES OF DISABILITY
1. Physical Disability:

• Any impairment which limits the physical function of limbs, fine bones or gross motor ability, is a
physical impairment, not necessarily a physical disability

• Eg. Amputation, Cerebral Palsy

2. Sensory Disability:

• Impairment in one of the senses

• Eg. Vision or Hearing impairment

a. Vision Impairment:

Is vision loss of a person to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant
limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that
cannot be corrected by conventional means such as refractive correction, medication or surgery.

b. Hearing Impairment:

Refers to conditions in which individuals are fully or partially unable to detect or perceive at least some
frequencies of sound which can typically be heard by most people

c. Olfactory and Gustatory Impairment:

Impairment of sense of smell and taste are commonly associated with aging
d. Somatosensory Impairment:

Insensitivity to stimuli such as touch, heat, cold and pain are often an adjunct to a more general physical
impairment involving neural pathways and is very commonly associated with paralysis

e. Balance Disorder:
• A disturbance that causes an individual to feel unsteady when standing or walking
• Involves various systems of the body: visual, vestibular, proprioception

3. Intellectual Disability:

Broad concept that ranges from mental retardation to cognitive deficits too mild or too specific ( as in specific
learning disability) to qualify as MR.
4. Mental Health and Emotional Disabilities:

A psychological or behavioural pattern with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and
perceived by the majority of society as being outside of normal development/ cultural expectations

5. Pervasive Developmental Disorders:

• Refers to a group of 5 developmental disabilities characterized by differences in the development of multiple

basic functions including socialization and communication

• Autism disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative disorder.

6. Developmental disability:

Any disability that results in problems with growth and development

7. Nonvisible disabilities:
Chronic disorders: Diabetes, Asthma, Fibromyalgia- not clearly visible
Thank you