Definition of Disability
In order to give a clear understanding on this pilot project, the definition of disabled people will be discussed first. There is dissimilarity among scientists in the definition of disability. This dissimilarity causes differences in defining the data of disabled people which are published by institutions. For instance, data from medical institutions often refer to the medical term while social institutions use a broader definition which includes the social condition of the disabled person such as ability to perform normally in a society. Lexically, disability is defined as: 1) a physical or mental condition which means that you cannot use a part of your body completely or easily. 2) The state of not being able to use a part of your body completely or easily; the state of not being able to learn easily. Further, Oxford dictionary specifies the definition of disability in terms of the causes of being disabled. Disabled is defined as ‘unable to use a part of the body completely or easily because of a physical condition, illness, injury, etcetera; unable to learn easily, mentally disabled’. These definitions are normally used in common conversations when people refer to the definition of disability or disabled people.
Scientists have also given a social definition on disability. Handicap is a state of disadvantage for a given individual resulting from an impairment or disability that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal (depending on age, sex, and social as well as cultural factors). In this definition, handicap is related to the cultural condition of the given person, which describes his social and also economic roles in the society compared to other members. Further, the status of the disabled is linked to the interaction of the persons with specific circumstances and culture. Someone who is considered a handicap in a certain society may not be considered as one in another society.
Impairment is defined as any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structural or function. In addition, impairments are disturbances at the level of the organ which includes defects in or loss of a limb, organ or body structure as well as defects in or loss of mental function, for example, blindness, deafness, loss of sight, paralysis of the limb, and amputation of a limb, mental retardation, and autism.
However, it is still widely debated among social scientists to distinguish who should be called a disabled person. Some sociologists have a definition on disability which is based on medical terms, while others prefer to use social terms on disability. Medical terms are related to physical impairment of the person which is normally caused by sickness. A person who is recognized as being disabled is basically one who is unable to help himself or herself practically (lame, crippled, amputated) or is constrained in his or her activities by one or another disabling condition (blindness, deformity, epilepsy or others).
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation’s definition of disability is based on the model of the International Classification of Diseases which defines disability as any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function. Disability has been defined as biological or physical impairment that limits major life activities like walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and performing manual tasks. Thus, disability in medical term is an impairment which is understood as any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. Whichever definition one takes, the fact is that disabled people are different compared to other vulnerable groups. Disabled people have special needs based on their disabilities. It must be taken into consideration that every disabled person may face different challenges based on the level of his impairment. Different conditions of disabilities produce different types of functional impairment. In addition, people with the same disabilities may differ significantly in the extent of their difficulties. For instance, the level of difficulty for a deaf person may differ from that of a blind person although both of them can be identified as having a disability. These dissimilarities result in the variety of needs of disabled people.
