Disability

Disability is a diverse phenomenon. There is no one understanding or perspective that can capture the complexities of disability. However it is understood though, disability is a global experience. According to the World Health Organization, disability is a multidimensional phenomenon that affects a significant portion of the global population. Definitions of disability have evolved over time both within and across cultural settings, as has the range of areas of human functioning to which disability applies. In Western societies for instance, disability has historically been associated with physical impairment, and only more recently with limitations in normative activities of daily living within typical environments. The defines disability in terms of activity restrictions and participation limitations. This model understands disability as a complex interaction between a person with a health or psychological impairment and his or her physical and sociocultural environment. Thus, the current understanding of disability emphasizes human functioning. An impairment, in and of itself, does not necessarily result in a disability.