WHAT IS A DISABILITY?

The general definition of disability is any condition or impairment of the body or mind that makes it more difficult for a person with the condition to do certain activities and interact with the world around them. According to the World Health Organization, disabilities have three dimensions: ο Impairment in a person’s body structure or function or in their mental functioning; examples of impairments include loss of a limb, loss of vision, or memory loss. ο Activity limitation, such as difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, or problem solving. ο Participation restrictions in normal daily activities, such as working, engaging in social and recreational activities, and obtaining health care and preventive services.

While noting that there is no single definition of disability, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) is a main source for collecting information on people with disabilities to better see trends over time. The ACS describes identification criteria used for six types of disability in all age groups: vision, hearing, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living.

Ambulatory disability—having serious difficulty with movement including walking or climbing stairs.

Independent living disability—due to a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping.

Cognitive disability—due to a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty thinking, learning, remembering, concentrating, communicating, or making decisions.

Hearing disability—being deaf or having serious difficulty hearing.

Self-care disability—having difficulty bathing or dressing.

Visual disability—being blind or having serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses.

Proportion of race in the U.S. compared to proportion of race among persons with disabilities, 2018

Although “people with disabilities” is sometimes used to refer to a single population, this is actually a diverse group of people with a wide range of needs. Persons with disabilities include individuals of all ages, genders, races and ethnicities, geography, education, employment, and income levels. Two persons with the same type of disability can be affected in very different ways. Some disabilities may not be physically visible.