Defining Disabilities, Disorders, and Impairments
According to World Health Organization (WHO), “’Disabilities’ is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.”
Most students registered with the DLRC have a disability that falls into one or more of the following categories:
- Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Chronic Medical Conditions
- Hearing Impairments
- Learning Disabilities
- Mobility/Physical Impairments
- Psychological Disorders
- Speech and Language Impairments
- Visual Impairments