Disability is often defined as any limitation, restriction or impairment which restricts everyday activities and has lasted or is likely to last for at least 6 months, or ones Lifetime. However, disability can be defined in several different ways, depending on the context that the word is used. Disabilities can be very varied. Β They can be physical, cognitive, intellectual, mental, sensory, or developmental. They can be present at birth or occur during a personβs lifetime, and can also be permanent or temporary.
There are many different types of disabilities which affect individual people in different ways.Β 90%Β of disabilities areΒ not visible, and two people with the same type of disability may not have the same experiences, which loosely fall intoΒ separate categories – intellectual, physical, sensory, and mental illness.
An intellectual disability may mean difficulty communicating, learning, and retaining information. They include Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and developmental delays.
Physical disability may affect, either temporarily or permanently, a person’s physical capacity and/or mobility. They include MS, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, brain or spinal cord injury, epilepsy, and muscular dystrophy.
Sensory disabilities affect one or more senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste or spatial awareness. They include autism, blindness, and hearing loss.
A mental illness affects a person’s thinking, emotional state and behaviors. They include bipolar, depression, schizophrenia, and eating disorders.
Disability and education
36% of people with a disability aged 18-64yrs, have completed Year 12, compared with 60% of those without a disability.
50% of school children with a disability receive additional support including tuition, and access to counsellors or support workers.
25% of people with a profound or severe disability aged 15 β 64 have completed Year 12.
Disability and the community
People with a profound disability are 9 times less likely to participate in activities outside the home.
Nearly 4 in 5 people with disability aged 15-64 years, participated in a cultural, recreational or sporting activity away from home in the previous 12 months (79%).
Childhood disabilities and developmental delays
7% of children have a disability
10% children have a developmental delay
52% of children with disabilities have a profound or severe core-activity limitation
Boys aged 0-14 years are more likely to have a disability (8.8%) than girls (5.0%)
Autism and related mental or behavioral disabilities are the most common disabilities amongst all children
Sensory (sight and hearing), and speech disabilities are the most common disabilities amongst children aged 0-4
66% of children with disabilities attend regular classes in mainstream schools
Just 10% of children with disabilities attend βspecialβ schools
Almost 80% of School principals reported not having enough resources to meet the needs of children with a disability
Mental Health
1 in 5Β have a mental illness
Almost half (45%) will experience a mental illness in their lifetime
Women are more likely to have a mental illness than menΒ (22% compared with 18%).Β However, men had twice the rate of Substance Use disorders (7.0% compared with 3.3%)
The most common mental illnesses are depressive, anxiety and, substance use disorder
More than 10% of people with a mental illness die by suicide within the first 10 years of diagnosis.
Lets all be dedicated to giving people with a disability greater choice, control, and freedom β empowering them to live life on their own terms across the World.
