A Brief Introduction to Disabilities
(from the Trace Center - used with permission)
A brief introduction to the major disability groups and some specific barriers to accessibility they encounter
A significant portion of our population (over thirty million in the U.S.) has impairments. These impairments may be acquired at birth or through accident or disease. Note that many impairments which result in disabilities are associated with aging. This is especially significant, as the population as a whole is growing older. Although there is a tremendous variety of specific causes, as well as combinations and severity of disabilities, we can most easily understand their basic impact by looking at four major categories of impairment.
The four categories are:
Cognitive/Language Impairments
In addition, we will discuss the special case of seizure disorders as well as some of the common situations of multiple impairments.