disability

the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness

"reading disability"

"hearing impairment"

The term "disability", as it is applied to humans, refers to any condition that impedes the completion of daily tasks using traditional methods. National governments and global humanitarian agencies have narrowed this definition for their own purposes, only pledging aid to those with specific disabilities of a certain severity.

Demographics of disability - Many books on disability and disability rights point out that the disabled community is one of very few groups of people that one doesn't have to be born into, as disability can develop later in life as well. Some disability rights activists use an acronym, TAB, humorously to point this out: TAB stands for "temporarily able-bodied" as a reminder that many become disabled as they join the ranks of the elderly.In most areas of the world, but especially in developed countries, the number of people with disabilities is growing and becoming a more significant percentage of the population because medicine is allowing more people to live who might have otherwise died in less advanced times.

Types of disability - "Disability" can be broken down into a number of broad sub-categories, which can include the following:

Physical impairments affecting movement, such as muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, spina bifida and cerebral palsy.

Sensory impairments, such as visual or hearing impairments.

Neurological impairments, such as epilepsy or dysautonomia.

Cognitive impairments such as Autism or Down Syndrome.

Psychiatric conditions such as clinical depressiondepression and Schizophrenia.Some disabilities are not obvious to outside observers; these are termed Invisible disabilityinvisible disabilities.A person may be impaired either by a correctable condition such as myopia, or by an unchangeable one such as cerebral palsy. For those with mild conditions, related impairments can improve or disappear with the application of corrective devices. More serious impairments call for adaptive equipment.A List_of_disabilitieslist of disabilities can never be complete or finalized because individuals, organizations, and governments define disabilities differently.

The evolution of a movement - Historically, disabilities have often been cast in a negative light. An individual thus affected was seen as being a “patient” subject either to cure or to ongoing medical care. His condition is seen as disabling; the social reactions to it are justified, and the barriers unavoidable. This position is known as the medical model of disability.Over the past 20 years, a competing view known as the social model of disability has come to the fore. In this model, disability is seen more as a social construction than a medical reality. Disabled activists, such as Tom Shakespeare (2002), argue that although their impairments may cause them pain or discomfort, what really ''dis''-ables people as members of society is a socio-cultural system which does not recognise their right to genuine equality.Both the medical and social models agree, to a point, that facilities and opportunities should be made as accessible as possible to individuals who require adaptations. Dismantling physical barriers, or setting up adaptations such as wheelchair ramps, is known as "fostering accessibility".A human rights based approach has been adopted by many organizations of and for people with disabilities. In 2000, for example, the United Nations Assembly decided to start working on a comprehensive convention for the rights of people with disabilities. Since 2002 the "UN Ad-Hoc meeting" gathers every six months to discuss the content of this UN convention. These meetings are open for Non-Government-Organisations and Disabled Peoples' Organisations.An approach that has led to tangible improvements in the lives of people with disabilities in many countries has been the Independent Living Movement. The term "Independent Living" was taken from 1959 California legislation that enabled people disabled by polio to leave hospital wards and move back into the community with the help of cash benefits for the purchase of personal assistance with the activities of daily living. With its origins in the US civil rights and consumer movements of the late 1960s, the movement and its philosophy have since spread to other continents influencing disabled people's self-perception, their ways of organizing themselves and their countries' social policy.The disability rights movement began in the 1970s and is largely responsible for the shift toward Independent_Livingindependent living and accessibility.

The language and terminology of disability - Many people use the term ''disability'' to replace the designation handicapped. While these two designations are often used interchangeably, proponents of the social model of disability use the latter term to describe the social and economic consequences of the former; i.e., an individual with a physical or intellectual disability is said to be "handicapped" by the bias of society towards ability (e.g., a building without an elevator handicaps a person who uses a wheelchair). Similarly, in the United Kingdom, people within the disability rights movement commonly use the term "disabled" to denote someone who is "disabled by society's inability to accommodate all of its inhabitants."The Person First Movement has added another layer to this discourse by asking that people with disabilities be identified first as individuals. "Person First Language" -- referring, for example, to a “woman who is blind,” rather than to "a blind woman" - is a form of political correctness designed to further the aims of the social model by removing attitudinal barriers.Some people with disabilities support the Person First Movement, while others do not. People who are Deaf in particular may see themselves as members of a specific community, properly called the Deaf culture, and so will reject efforts designed to distance them from the central fact of their identity. This is a view that is becoming increasingly prevalent within other disabled communities, that are becoming self-aware and self defining by seeing their impairments as a central part of their upbringing, education, personality & Lifestyle.The American Psychological Association APA_stylestyle guide devotes a large section to the discussion of individuals with disabilities, and states that in professional writing following this style, the person should come first, and nominal forms describing the disability should be used so that the disability is being described, but is not modifying the person. For instance, "people with autism," "man with schizophrenia," "girl with paraplegia." Similarly, a person's adaptive equipment should be described functionally as something that assists a person, not as something that limits a person. "A woman who uses a wheelchair" -- she is not "in" it or "confined" to it, and she leaves it at the very least for sleeping and bathing. "A communication aid user." "A girl who uses a ventilator." "A man who takes antipsychotic medications to optimize his daily functioning."Many people with disabilities especially dislike "disabled person" or "the disabled," as this implies that one's overall "personness" is defective, while "person with a disability" acknowledges the disability without implying anything about the overall person. However, according to the "social model", as it is society that disables a person, the reality of being a "person with a disability" is not really possible because it is impossible for an individual to "have" a society, therefore the term "disabled person" does not signify the lack of one's own "person-ness" but points an accusing finger at society for excluding those with impairments.See also List of disability-related terms with negative connotations

Well-known people with disabilities - Many people with disabilities have contributed to society. These include:

American president Franklin Delano RooseveltFranklin Roosevelt (impaired movement as the result of polio),

classical composer Ludwig von Beethoven (deaf in later years),

King Richard III of England (childhood sickness allowed bones to malform, resulting in severe curvature of the back and extremely uneven legs)

musician Stevie Wonder (blind)

jazz pianist Marcus Roberts (blind)

musician Ray Charles (blind)

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen (drummer)Rick Allen (lost left arm in a car accident),

comedian, actor, author, and monologist Greg Walloch (cerebral palsy),

civil rights activist Helen Keller (deaf and blind),

Cole Porter, musical theater composer (lost legs after riding accident)

Classical actress Sarah Bernhardt (lost leg after a nasty fall)

Stephen Hawking (who has Motor Neurone Disease and uses a wheelchair and speech synthesizer),

Deng Pufang - has paraplegia

British rock and roll singer/songwriter Ian Dury

Nicaraguan guitar player, singer and songwriter Tony Melendez (born without arms)

Major League BaseballMajor league pitcher Jim Abbott (born without a right hand)

Actress Marlee Matlin (deaf)

Joseph Merrick ("the Elephant Man", severe neurofibromatosis)

Christopher Reeve, actor famous for portraying Superman who became a Quadriplegiaquadriplegic after a horse-riding accident,

for others see list of people with disabilities.

See also - wikiquote

List of disabilities

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Assistive technology

Disability etiquette

Disability Discrimination Act

Disabled robotics

Human variability

Independent Living

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

Learning disability

Inclusive development

Invisible disability

References -

Tom Shakespeare, ''Genetic Politics: from Eugenics to Genome'', with Anne Kerr (New Clarion Press, 2002).

External links -

aapd.com - American Association of People With Disabilities

wapd.org - World Association of Persons with Disabilities

disabilityhistory.org - The Disability Social History Project

independentliving.org - Independent Living Institute

un.org - UN Enable

nad.org - National Association of the Deaf (United States)

icdri.org - The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet

disabledcommunity.org - DisabledCommunity.Org (United States)

disabilitysecrets.com - Social Security Disability FAQ (United States)

disabled-world.com - Disabled World Disability news and articles

!officecentralcardiff.co.uk - OfficeCentral: Disability In The Workplace

dlf.org.uk - Disabled Living Foundation (UK) Category:Disability

asksource.info - Source - International Information Support Centre [Category:Inclusive Development

iddc.org.uk - International Disability and Development !Consortiumde:Behinderunges:Dis capacidadhe:נכותja:障 ;害者nl:Handicapno :Funksjonshemningth:คนพ� ��การ

Access Ability
Site for the disabled,handicapped,including resources, contacts,advice & information.Government addresses, phone numbers Fun, Games and downloads,articles.cornucopia of links providing information concerning disability products, research, organizations, events, and politics
http://www.access-ability.org/

RWF Talking Software
We’ve cut the price of Talking Dictionary by almost 50% this month and we’re still running our free bonus cd promotion. So not only is Talking Dictionary much cheaper - you’re still getting the benefit of our free Talking Event Scheduler, Talking Calculator and Talking Maze Game.
http://www.rwfts.com/

Bringing Ability to Disability Management
Video PDA is an innovation that reduces the human and financial costs of disabilities.
http://www.earatech.com/

Jazz Explorium
Home World of Freelance Percussionist, Community Musician, Composer, DrumCircle & Music Workshop Facilitator - Steve Ball : Participate - Create - Celebrate a Mission & Philosophy
http://www.jazzexplorium.net/

National Organization For Empowering Caregivers
Empowering Caregivers, www.care-givers.com was created to provide a safe, nurturing place for all family caregivers as well as professionals on an emotional and spiritual level. Expert columns feature well-known individuals in the fields of caregiving, self-help and empowerment. There is a monthly newsletter; journal exercises the Empowering Caregivers Community, which offers scheduled chats and forums/message boards. There is a caregiver’s spotlight, which honors a caregiver and caregiving site each month, inspiration, a wealth of resources, gear for purchasing and more. The site is an opportunity for all caregivers to move into forgiveness, to heal and open to the most important healing power there is: LOVE. Empowering Caregivers is under the umbrella of the National Organization For Empowering Caregivers,(NOFEC) www.nofec.org..
http://www.nofec.org/

Marrakech, Inc.
A private non-prifit human services agency based out of Woodbridge, CT. We provide a wide variety of services to children and adults with disabilities.
http://www.marrakechinc.org/

The Disabled Birders Association
The dbs is an international movement created in the year 2000 to lobby for better provision for birdwatchers with disabilities including better access to preserves, reserves, national parks and other birding places and to improved equipment to help birders with disabilities enjoy their hobby. It was founded by bo beolens [more widely known as 'Fatbirder'] who has birded for 50 years and had a disability for over 30 years. Membership is free and open to all. The largest chapter is in the UK and the next largest in the US and there are members from Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia.
http://www.disabledbirdersassociation.co.uk

Wendy's Multiple Sclerosis Site
Personal website providing a starting point for those seeking Multiple Sclerosis resources, information, and support on the internet.
http://www.wendys-ms-site.com/

dao (DisabilityArtsOnline)
dao (DisabilityArtsOnline) reflects on the lives of disabled people, from the unique viewpoint afforded by the arts. It features a commentary on disability arts in relation to the social model of disability.
http://www.disabilityarts.com/

http://www.albritton.us
Albritton Disability Consulting Services LLC (ADCS) leads industry, government and businesses into compliance with Section 508 Standards of accessible electronic and information technology. Learn what it takes to minimize risk and liability. We offer training and technical assistance tailored to meet your individual needs while helping your Information Technology (IT) Team comply with Section 508. GET THE COMPETITIVE EDGE Interested in doing business with Federal or State Government within the United States of America? California vendors, for instance, need to comply with Section 508 and develop accessible products to secure winning contracts. Our services put your business at an advantage over your competition when pursuing government contracts. SERVICES YOU CAN COUNT ON In addition to diagnosing and evaluating the accessibility of Website content, we focus on long-term solutions delivered through unparalleled training and technical assistance. ADCS effectively addresses your alternative formatting needs for all your digital documents, including inaccessible Portable Document Format (PDF). Our team of accessibility experts is available to convert your deformatted digital documents to accessible HTML and digital audio content. CONSIDER YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI) Develop an accessible Web presence to people with disabilities and Baby Boomers! Comply with government accessibility requirements! Have your Webmasters and IT Team certified as Web-accessibility Masters! Champion over complex accessibility barriers! Reach out to a hugely untapped resource of customers that include over twenty percent of the American population. BECOME OUR NEXT SATISFIED CUSTOMER Our customers are Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Webmasters, and IT Professionals. If you are a stakeholder (such as Academia; Health Maintenance Organizations; the Software Industry; Federal, State and Local Government; etc.) affected by Section 508 and other accessibility laws, then take the next step and contact us today!
http://www.albritton.us

Gruppo Volontariato Assistenza Handicappati GVA
Italian site dealing with disability, with contents of both local and general interest, notably a cathegorized and commented database of links (this section of the site is in English).
http://www.gva-acqui.org/

PatientView
PatientView is a global research and publishing organisation that works closely with health and social campaigning groups worldwide. PatientView's expertise in the area of health campaigning comes from two of its major resources. First, Health and Social Campaigners' Network International , a very large global virtual network of health campaigning groups; and second, Health and Social Campaigners' News International , a monthly briefing document about the activities of health campaigners worldwide – free to health campaigners and available to other healthcare stakeholders on subscription. Other resources supplied by Patient View are: • Broadcasting Patients , a free service that helps health campaigning groups access media organisations (and vice versa). [Web pages to be launched in May 2006.] • Regular survey work of our 40,000-plus email database of health campaigning organisations. • Datamining of PatientView's library of resources on any subject related to the world of health campaigning. • Consultancy on any subject related to the world of health campaigning. PatientView ensures its independence and impartiality by accepting projects from a wide range of healthcare stakeholders. PatientView has guaranteed to receive no more than 20% of its annual income from projects commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry.
http://www.patient-view.com/

e-ISOTIS (Information Society Open To ImpairmentS)
e-ISOTIS (Information Society Open To ImpairmentS) ensures that disabled and elderly themselves and their families are fully involved in the preparations and activities in line with the slogan nothing about disabled people without disabled people. e-ISOTIS is a non-profit making organisation founded in January 2004, that works for People with Disabilities, their spouses as well as key players of the ICT (Information Communication Technology) and training/research community from the whole globe. Currently, its network of disabled and elderly individuals as end-users, associations of disabled and elderly, ICT industry players, training/research institutions and universities expands not only through the whole Europe but also in Australia, China, US as well as in many other non-european countries.
http://www.e-isotis.org/

Access For All
Access-4-All works to: Educate and empower people with and without disabilities through motivational presentations and diversity training. Provide resources, referrals, services, and products to help and support people with disabilities.
http://www.access4all.com/

Guardianship and trust informanion
Proguard.org contains general information about guardianship, trusts and related issues. It is provided as a public service by Guardianship Services of Seattle.
http://www.proguard.org/

AA Clara's Nanny Agency
Nanny Agency located in Vancouver(Canada),offering caregivers from overseas.Serving British Columbia families live in&live out, FT/PT.
http://www.claras.ca/

Disability Income Insurance Protection
Free Quotes, Disability Insurance pays income benefits when you cannot work due to sickness or accident. Request a quote.
http://www.disabilitybroker.com/

Homepage of H2 Developer Group
Experts in computer aided assistive technology: real working, reliable solutions for people with disabilities.
http://www.h2dg.com/

Solutions for Humans, addressing sight loss, physical impairment, ergonomic issues, communication and hearing disorders.
Ergonomic computer office furniture. Assistive technology products for people with special needs. Accessibility products such as text to speech. Speech recognition that aid the blind and those with low vision in the office and at home workstations. Our mission is to help you prevent computer related injuries. Avoid RSI (repetitive strain injuries) by building ergonomic computer workstations.
http://www.sforh.com/

The Center for Special Needs Planning
The Center for Special Needs Planning is a team of attorneys who specialize in addressing all of the legal needs of families that have a loved one with a disability. As experienced and knowledgeable special needs attorneys, our goal is to help you plan for the future and security of your special loved one with a disability. Have you ever wondered who will take care of and provide for your child with special needs after you are gone? How do you pass an inheritance on to your special needs loved one (when he or she cannot have more than $2,000.00) without effecting their governmental benefits? If you have a loved one with a disability — and rely upon a will to cover their future care — your loved one's inheritance can be taken away by the government. To ensure that governmental benefits (such as Medicaid or SSI) are never altered, diminished or destroyed, it is imperative that you establish Special Needs Planning — including a special needs trust — through the experienced lawyers of The Center for Special Needs Planning. We believe that Special Needs Planning is so important we commonly refer to it as a Miracle on Paper.
http://www.thecenterforspecialneedsplanning.com/

United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Houston
United Cerebral Palsy is a non-profit organization that serves individuals with all types of disabilities and their families. UCP offers seven major programs: Infant Development, Respite Services, Therapy Services that include Toy / Tech, Therasuit, Camps, Counseling and Case Management, High School / High Tech, Home of Your Own and Adult Recreation and Leisure.
http://www.ucphouston.org/

National Council on Disability
An independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities. Site includes Frequently Asked Questions, news, links, and resources.
http://www.ncd.gov/

National Organization on Disability
Promotes full and equal participation of America's 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.
http://www.nod.org/

Eskimo North
Provides dial-in and remote access Internet accounts, web hosting and virtual domain services, Frame Relay, T1 connections, and NNTP/UUCP accounts.
http://www.eskimo.com/

Disability - on the agenda
Disability rights in the UK.
http://www.disability.gov.uk/