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Kinds of Disability

Not all disabilities are evident. Being knowledgeable of different kinds of disabilities can help you identify such people in your environment and provide assistance and support accordingly. As an employer, you can provide disabled people with a friendlier workplace, and as part of the general public, you could make it easier for such people to handle day-to-day challenges. In public places, seek permission from the disabled individual before offering to help to prevent inadvertently injuring his sense of independence.

  1. Movement-Restricting Disability

    • People with mobility disabilities might find it difficult to walk, sit or accomplish other motions such as turning or bending. Their finger movement may also be crippled. Some people are born with mobility disabilities, while others develop the disabilities through accidents, debilitating illnesses or aging. People with movement disabilities might need wheelchairs, canes or service animals to manage day-to-day activities; some benefit from prosthetic aids such as artificial limbs.

    Visual Impairment

    • Individuals with visual incapability may be completely or partially blind. Vision problems can result from a number of causes including dryness of eyes, diabetes and corneal or scleral damage. Canes and service animals usually assist vision-impaired individuals in carrying out their day-to-day activities.

    Auditory Dysfunction

    • Individuals with hearing problems may have lost the sensory capability completely or may suffer from partial hearing loss. People with partial hearing capabilities may use auditory devices to help them hear. Loss of hearing may be a birth defect or result from accidents or illnesses. People with hearing problems often use sign language to communicate with others.

    Mental Disabilities

    • Humans can be afflicted by a range of mental health problems, from benign depression to serious personality disorders that can make functioning normally highly difficult. Some mental-health disorders cripple the thinking and memorizing powers of an individual. Rehabilitation may serve to decrease the impact of the disorder and improve the individual's skills for dealing with day-to-day life.

    Other Disabilities

    • Conditions such as asthma, arthritis and cardiac problems as well as AIDS or other organ inefficiencies can hamper normal functioning of an individual. There are also learning disabilities such as dyslexia and dyspraxia, which affect an individual's natural ability to learn and process information and communicate with society. Although these disabilities are not readily discernible, they are often serious problems, hampering daily activities for people who suffer with them.

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