What is Disability? Explain Disability, Define Disability, Meaning of Disability

Summary

The transcript explores the complex and multifaceted nature of disability, discussing how it encompasses physical, cognitive, developmental, intellectual, and sensory impairments. It emphasizes the distinction between impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions, highlighting the role of societal interaction in defining disability. The concept of disability is further contested, with debates on terminology, its medicalization, and the societal challenges faced by disabled individuals. The discussion touches on the evolution of disability studies and activism, along with legal requirements for documentation of disabilities for benefits, shaping the current understanding of disability.

Takeaways

• 😀 A disability is an impairment that can be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of these.
• 😀 Disabilities can be present from birth or may develop during a person's lifetime.
• 😀 Disability is an umbrella term covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions.
• 😀 An impairment refers to a problem in body function or structure.
• 😀 Activity limitations are difficulties encountered by an individual in performing tasks or actions.
• 😀 Participation restrictions are problems experienced by an individual in engaging in life situations.
• 😀 Disability is not just a health problem; it reflects the interaction between a person's body and societal features.
• 😀 The concept of disability is contested and can have different meanings in different communities.
• 😀 Disability can refer to physical or mental attributes needing to be fixed according to medical institutions, societal limitations, or the identity of disabled people.
• 😀 Physiological functional capacity (PFC) describes an individual's performance level in performing daily tasks.
• 😀 Debates about disability definitions emerged from disability activism in the 1970s in the United States and the United Kingdom, challenging the medical model of disability.

Q & A

What is a disability?

A disability is an impairment that may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of these. It substantially affects a person's life activities and can be present from birth or occur later in life.

What does the term 'disability' encompass?

Disability is an umbrella term that covers impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. It is a complex phenomenon that reflects the interaction between a person's body features and the society in which they live.

How is 'impairment' defined in the context of disability?

Impairment refers to a problem in body function or structure.

What are 'activity limitations'?

Activity limitations refer to difficulties encountered by an individual when executing a task or action.

What are 'participation restrictions'?

Participation restrictions are problems experienced by an individual in their involvement in life situations.

Is disability purely a health issue?

No, disability is not just a health problem. It is a complex interaction between features of a person's body and features of the society they live in.

What is the controversy surrounding the term 'disability'?

Disability is a contested concept with different meanings across communities. It may refer to physical or mental attributes needing to be fixed, limitations imposed by society, or the identity of disabled people.

What does 'physiological functional capacity' (PFC) refer to?

Physiological functional capacity describes an individual's performance level in physical tasks, gauging how easily tasks are performed in daily life.

How does advancing age relate to disability?

With advancing age, physiological functional capacity may decline, leading to frailty, cognitive disorders, or physical disorders, which can result in an individual being labeled as disabled.

What role did disability activism play in defining disability?

Disability activism in the 1970s in the United States and the United Kingdom challenged the medical concept of disability and its influence on societal perceptions and discourse about disabilities.