Definitions of Disability
Who is disabled?
Any person who has physical, sensory or mental impairment which substantially limits a major life activity, has record of such impairment and is regarded as having such impairment.
Major Life Activities are seeing, hearing, walking, self-care, learning, breathing and working.
Physical or mental impairment are physiological disorder or condition or anatomical loss; mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, emotional or mental illness, specific learning disabilities.
DISABILITY DEFINED
‘An impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function.’
‘A disability is any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or without the range considered normal for a human being.’
‘A handicap is a 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 and cultural factors) for that individual.’
- from WHO Manual
Persons with disabilities include those who have long-tem physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
As defined in The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The ILO defines a disabled person as an individual whose prospects of securing, retaining and advancing in suitable employment are substantially reduced as a result of a duly recognised physical or mental impairment.
The Indian Disability Act defines disability as per the following seven categories:
Blindness
Low vision
Leprosy cured
Hearing impaired
Locomotor disability
Mental retardation
Mental illness
MALNUTRITION AND DISABILITY
Malnourished children under five years of age are at risk of becoming disabled. Most of these disabilities are preventable through improved diets, including the following:
Iodine is essential for the functioning of the thyroid, a gland that produces hormones for growth and energy control. The amount of iodine needed is very small and is available in iodised salt.
Iron is needed to carry oxygen through blood. Its deficiency is associated with delays in physical and mental development. Low cost iron supplements and iron rich foods can be used, such as green vegetables, cereals and proteins.
Folate is a B-vitamin and its deficiency in pregnant women increases the risk in babies being born with spina bifida.
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and is produced by sunlight on the skin. Its deficiency leads to bone deformities and other signs of rickets. Its deficiency can be overcome by exposure of the face and arms to sunlight for ten minutes each day.
Vitamin A is needed for many functions of the body including sight and to fight infections.
HOW TO PREVENT DISABILITIES IN CHILDREN
Before pregnancy
Immunise girls aged 12-14 against rubella
Provide sufficient folic acid in a woman’s diet before she becomes pregnant
During pregnancy
Encourage a good diet with sufficient micronutrients
Support mothers to receive good antenatal care
Detect and treat sexually transmitted diseases
During delivery and baby’s first month
Promote delivery by a trained dai or midwife
Support good neonatal care of pre-term and low-weight babies
Encourage breastfeeding
During infancy and childhood
Prevent vitamin A, vitamin D deficiency and iron deficiencies and malnutrition
Immunise against measles, polio, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and tetanus (DPT and BCG)
Identify and treat potentially disabling illness such as meningitis
Promote a safe environment in the home, school, roads and community to avoid accidents resulting in disability and injuries.
OTHER CAUSES OF DISABILITIES
Apart from major causes of disabilities like blindness, leprosy, polio, iodine deficiency there are other causes which have also received attention from various agencies including:
Genetic Causes of Birth Defects:
Abnormalities of structure, function and body chemistry result in physical, sensory or mental disabilities and are caused by hereditary factors, apart from environmental interference with a child’s development before, during and after birth. Hereditary information, containing characteristics (including defects) is passed on from parents to a child. Many genetic disorders can be traced to modes of inheritance such as Huntington Disease (progressive deterioration of the central nervous system) or Dwarfism (retardation of bone growth). Some defects like Down’s Syndrome (popularly known as Mongolism) are present at birth and are the result of chromosomal imbalance or an error occurring during the process of cell formation at the time of conception. This is not a “hereditary condition’ in the sense that it is not transferred from parents’ defective genes. It is essentially a random mistake and can happen to anyone, but women over 35 years are at a greater risk than younger mothers.
Other causes of disability in India:
Fluorosis results from unsafe drinking water. It causes health problems such as stomach disorders, discolouration and loss of teeth, pain and stiffness in joints, backbone as well as muscles and even results in crippling a patient on a permanent basis.
Lathyrism is a type of paralysis in the lower limbs caused due to excess consumption of lathyrus sativus (Khesari Dal), a type of lentil, and is irreversible and incurable.
Casualties from Accidents. All human activities – occupational, recreational, domestic or transportation – are subject to accident risk. Natural and Manmade disasters are another cause of both temporary and permanent disabling conditions.
Statistics
Estimates of the number of the disabled vary a great deal, depending on the definitions, the source, the methodology and the extent of use of scientific instruments in identifying and measuring the degree of disability. The World Health Organisation estimates that there are 600 million disabled people worldwide, about 10% of the world population. It is also estimated that about 80% of all disabled people worldwide live in developing countries. According to the Census 2001 there are approximately 22 million people with disabilities and the NSSO 2002 survey gives the figure of approximately 18.49 million.
Definitions Of Disability