About Mild & Moderate Disability

A disability is a physical or mental impairment that limits normal activity. Whether a disability is mild or moderate is determined by how it affects daily activity and the level of assistance a person needs.

Significance

• Assessments carried out by professionals, such as educational psychologists and health-care providers, are used to determined whether a disability is mild, moderate or severe. Someone with mild disability might need very little help, but someone suffering from a moderate disability might require more comprehensive health care. A child with mild learning difficulties, for example, might only need some extra help in class, but a youngster with moderate learning difficulties might be placed in long-term special education classes and require assistance with transport to and from school.

Misconceptions

• Many people associate disability with a physical impairment that limits mobility, such as someone using a walking stick or being confined to a wheelchair. However, many conditions such as learning, visual or hearing impairments can cause mild or moderate disability.

Considerations

• Advances in health care and educational opportunities means that people with all levels of disability are able to lead longer and more independent and productive lives. More enlightened thinking means that people who previously would have required institutional care can now live independently in a supported housing environment. People who might previously have been excluded from higher education because of conditions such as dyslexia might be entitled to practical and financial support to encourage academic achievement.