Disability

Disability symbols

A disability is a condition that a person has which limits them in some way.^[1] 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.

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 may not be 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.^[2]

Assistive Technology

People with disabilities may use special equipment, often called assistive technology, that can help them. These can include:

Mobility aids, such as canes (walking sticks), crutches, and walkers, that help someone walk
Wheelchairs, another kind of mobility aid, for someone who can't walk. Some people who use wheelchairs cannot walk at all. Others are able to walk a bit; they use a wheelchair because they cannot walk for far or without pain.
- Someone who uses 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.
Glasses or contact lenses to help someone see
Screen readers that relay information on a computer to someone who cannot see.
- These can include text-to-speech software that read contents of a screen out loud, or hardware that translates text on a screen into Braille.
Hearing aids to help someone hear
Teletypewriters (TTY), speech-generating devices, and communication boards, that help someone communicate in other ways if they cannot talk
Special grips for holding writing utensils, silverware, tools, art supplies, and more; to help people who have poor dexterity (fine motor skills), weak muscles, or a tremor.
Prosthetic limbs that replace a missing body part. Some people may have had the body part amputated (removed). Others may have just been born without it.

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^[3] to far right,^[4] which is called ableism. People biased against the disabled are called ableists.^[5]

Disability Media

Windover Archeological Site, location of the 15-year-old with spina bifida who was taken care of in a hunter-gather community
A short government advisory animation on the social model of disability
A sign in Taiwan showing a wheelchair accessibility ramp
Museum of disABILITY History, Buffalo, New York
The rainbow-colored infinity symbol represents the diversity of the autism spectrum as well as the greater neurodiversity movement.
A 28-year-old Iraqi woman who lost both of her legs during the Iraq War in 2005
The Cripples, Pieter Bruegel, 1568
Protest for the recognition of Irish Sign Language
Three Black and disabled people in front of a pride flag