A disability is a condition which affects an individual’s ability to undertake everyday activities. A disability may affect a person’s sensory, mobility or mental function.
There are different types of disability, including:
- Physical disability
- Vision disability
- Mental health disorders
- Learning difficulties
- Hearing disability
- Brain, head and spinal cord injuries
Physical disability
Physical disabilities affect the body’s ability to function and move, thus prohibiting disabled independence. Many people with physical disabilities rely on mobility aids to get around and some people who have lost limbs have prosthetic limbs. Physical disabilities may be congenital, but most people are not born with physical disabilities. Disability may be caused by ageing, other health conditions, injuries or trauma. Physical disabilities may affect the upper or lower limbs, manual dexterity and coordination.
Vision disability
People who have impaired vision or a complete loss of vision are said to have a vision disability. Some people are born with impaired sight, while others will develop blindness as a result of illness, trauma or ageing.
Mental health disorders
Also known as psychological disorders, mental health disorders, are often complex conditions, which can affect an individual’s ability to carry out everyday activities, even though they may look completely healthy. Examples of mental health disabilities include schizophrenia, dementia and personality disorders (such as bipolar disease) and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Learning difficulties
Many people suffer from learning difficulties. People may suffer from conditions which affect their ability to learn and master academic skills, such as reading and writing and speech. Examples of learning difficulties include speech disorders, dyslexia and dyspraxia.
Hearing disabilities
The term hearing disability refers to people who are partially or completely deaf. Some people are born with hearing impairments, while others develop them later in life as a result of ageing, trauma or illness.
Brain and spinal disabilities
Spinal cord and brain disabilities are usually the result of an accident or trauma; for example, a car crash or a severe head injury. These kinds of disabilities can have lifelong implications for the individual as the most important structures in the body have been damaged and this can make disabled independence very difficult. Some people may end up paralysed if their spinal cord has been damaged, and others may have bran damage which will affect their mental capacity and many other bodily functions. Some people may have milder disabilities.