Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
What is disability?
People with disabilities make up a big part of our society but are often excluded.
Disability is defined as a physical, sensory, learning, mental health or emotional impairment that affects someone's ability to take part in normal day-to-day activities.
There are around 400,000 people with disabilities in the Republic of Ireland, that's about 10% of the population. In Northern Ireland, about 201,000 people have disabilities. People with disabilities make up a big part of our society but are often excluded from educational, working and social possibilities that others take for granted.
Why? It can be a problem of access, since not all pubs and shops have ramps for wheelchairs. Or maybe your school or university doesn't provide proper facilities for people with dyslexia, sight or hearing difficulties. You might have asthma and find some sports a problem. The possible difficulties go on and on.
There are many different types of disability which include:
- Absence (total or part) of your body or mental functions. This includes the absence of a part of your body.
- When you have organisms in your body that cause or might cause a chronic disease.
- Malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of your body.
- Malfunction or a condition that means you learn differently to others.
- A condition, illness or disease that affects your thoughts, perception of reality, emotions, judgment or causes disturbed behaviour.
- If you have a disability it might include speech, hearing, physical or sight difficulties. Maybe you have dyslexia, asthma, arthritis, diabetes or epilepsy. Or you might have a mental health condition like an anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- There are many different disabilities and each can affect life in a different way.
