DISABILITY

ABOUT DISABILITY

Disabilities have been defined in many ways. In general, disabilities are characteristics of the body, mind, or senses that affect a person’s ability to engage independently in some or all aspects of daily living.

Different kinds of disabilities affect people in different ways yet, the same kind of disability can affect each person differently.

While all disabilities are as different as the individuals who experience them, the challenges and opportunities for persons with disabilities are often similar.

Disability is not “inability” or “sickness”.

People living with disabilities can be as healthy as people who don’t have disabilities.

People with disabilities can and do work, play, learn and enjoy full healthy lives in their communities.

Disabling conditions include:

Blindness and vision impairments;
Deafness and hearing impairments;
Mental health conditions including, learning disabilities;
Mobility impairments; and
Speech and language impairments.

DISABILITY VERSUS HANDICAP

A Disability is a condition at birth or acquired at some time later in life. That may be caused by genetics, accident, trauma, or disease which may limit a person's mobility, hearing, vision, speech or mental function. Some people with disabilities have one or more disabilities.

A Handicap is a physical or attitudinal constraint that is imposed upon a person, regardless of whether that person has a disability. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines handicap as to put at a disadvantage.

ETIQUETTE

People with disabilities are people!

Only secondarily do they have one or more disabling conditions.

As such, people with disabilities are not conditions or diseases. For instance, a person is not epileptic but rather a person who has epilepsy.

THE EXODUS GUILD

"Mobility in Adversity"