Categories of disability
Durban Review, April 19, 2009
The UCP website describes five different types of disabilities. These can be explained as:
Mobility Impairment
Mobility impairment, the inability to use a hand, foot, arm or leg, or a lack of strength tht prevents walking, grasping, or lifting. The use of an aid such as a wheelchair, crutches, or a walker to enable mobility.
Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive impairment, a person's ability to reason, understand, and learn. There are two categories: learning disabilities and mental retardation.
Hearing Impairment
Hearing impairments, from a mild hearing loss to total deafness. Those with hearing difficulty often use lip read along with their residual hearing when communicating face-to-face. People who are completly deaf may use Sign Language or lip-read, they may speak or use a sign-language interpreter.
Visual Impairment
Visual impairment, from an inability to see images clearly and distinctly to a total loss of vision. It also includes an inability to detect small changes in brightness, color blindness, and sensitivity to light. Mobility aids include a cane or seeing eye dog. Braille may be used to read.
Speech Impairment
Speech impairments, from problems with articulation or voice strength to complete voicelessness. Speech impairments may cause difficulty in projection, articulation and fluency. Aids include assistive devices or the use of an interpreter to communicate.
Other articles on discrimination against people with disabilities
For related articles, visit the discrimination against people with disabilities section of Durban Review or select from the articles below. Other anti-racism themes, conference details, and news are available from the Durban Review home page.
- Questions and Answers
An introduction to the topic of discrimination against people with disabilities through short questions and answers - Defining disability
A look at different definitions of disabilty and where some fall short. - Categories of Disability
The five catagories of disabilities explained. - Online disability discrimination
A look at discrimination against people with disabilities on the internet. - Disability discrimination today
Where we as a society stand today, a look at some recent incidents and information. - Bruce Maguire, Telecommunications access and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australian Human Rights Commission, 16 February 2009.
- Hannah Jacobs, Public blindness to discrimination against those with disabilities
Recent statements by public figures, including President Obama, highlight the casual discrimination against people with disabilities in todays society. - Nazi persecution of the disabled: Murder of the Unfit
Nazi persecution of persons with disabilities began with forced sterilization and escalated toward mass murder. The Euthanasia Program was in itself a rehearsal for Nazi Germany's broader genocidal policies. [External link]
