Disability

Disability is a condition that a person has which limits them in some way. These conditions may be congenital (present at birth), cognitive (associated with the brain), developmental (appears as the person develops) and physical, which can be caused by an accident or infection.

Disability symbols

Introduction

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines disability in Article 1 as:

[L]ong-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder [a person's] full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Invisible disabilities, or hidden disabilities, are disabilities that are not immediately obvious, such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), mental disorders, asthma, epilepsy, allergies, migraines, arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Difficulties

People with a disability or disabilities may need to use special equipment that can help them. This can include using a wheelchair, a cane or walking stick, hearing aids, a teletypewriter (TTY) and using specially designed software and hardware for the personal computer. Those on a wheelchair cannot walk up or down stairs in a building. They need to use ramps and elevators going into and moving around in a building. Wide doorways and accessible toilets also make it easier for people with physical disabilities to use.

Discrimination

Hatred of the disabled is widespread, ranging from the far left to far right, which is called ableism. People biased against the disabled are called ableists.

Categories

• A Physical disability limits the way a human body works
• A visual impairment impacts on the eyesight of a person, e.g. blindness
• A hearing impairment prevents a person from hearing normally, e.g. deafness
• A developmental disability limits how a person processes information and occasionally leads to a lower mental age than those of his or her age
• An intellectual disability limits the brain functions of a person and prevents the person from functioning at the same level as another person of his or her age

Related pages

• Equity
• Equality
• Civil rights
• Accessibility
• Human rights
• Neurodiversity
• Women's rights
• Children's rights
• Autism rights movement
• United Nations Human Rights Council
• United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights