Disability

Two women are deep in conversation at a cafe. One woman sits on a bench seat and the other woman is seated in a wheelchair.
Text on aqua that uses the example of Mike, a wheelchair user, to illustrate the Social Model of disability. In the first of two examples, Mike attempts to visit a restaurant, only to discover that there are steps he cannot pass. In the second example, the restaurant has a ramp. Mike's access in the second example is the same as nondisabled peers because the environment changed.
Text on aqua that uses the example of Mike, a wheelchair user, to illustrate the Social Model of disability. In the first of two examples, Mike attempts to visit a restaurant, only to discover that there are steps he cannot pass. In the second example, the restaurant has a ramp. Mike’s access in the second example is the same as nondisabled peers because the environment changed.

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Square image that reads, "Disability is NOT a dirty word." The image indicates that some people prefer not to use the word "disability" because of the stigma associated with the word. It also suggests that by using "disability," people can bring visibility to access issues and claim civil rights protections offered under the law.
Image Description: Square image that reads, “Disability is NOT a dirty word.” The image indicates that some people prefer not to use the word “disability” because of the stigma associated with the word. It also suggests that by using “disability,” people can bring visibility to access issues and claim civil rights protections offered under the law.

Want to tell the world what you just learned? Download this graphic to share!

The way we define disability depends on the context – or does it?

In the United States, disability has historically been linked to institutions. Simply put, we use the word, “disabled,” to identify a person, but only because that person needs access to some service or support.

Services and supports in our country can come from different places (or laws). That’s why there are different definitions of disability.

The Federal Definition

The federal government (which sets guidelines for programs like Medicaid and Social Security) generally describes a person as disabled if they:

  • have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more “major life activities,”
  • have a record of such an impairment, or
  • are regarded as having such an impairment.
The Educational Definition

Parents and school-aged young adults with disabilities may be more familiar with the educational definition, set in the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). IDEA describes a child as disabled if they:

  • have been evaluated and found to have one of the qualifying disabilities named under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), and
  • need special education services because of this disability.

Wait. That’s confusing!

Even the federal government admits that the term “disability” is defined “in various ways, depending on the context” – which means that yes – you can be disabled in one setting but not in another.

In a lot of ways, this makes sense. If everyone uses a ramp to enter a building, a wheelchair user will have the same ability to enter the building as everyone else. And if all movies include closed captioning, a Deaf person will have the same ability to enjoy the film as the hearing person next to them.

The problem is that the our world isn’t set up this way be default. When a wheelchair user comes to a staircase and can’t get into a building, they experience disability. And when a Deaf person goes to a movie with no captions, they experience it too.

The definition of disability is closely related to access – whether a person can use/enter something as-is (see access). It is also related to identity, or how a person sees themselves in the world (see identity).

Why say “disabled?”

Many people avoid saying the word, “disabled,” and may use euphemisms instead. For these people, “disabled” is rooted in stigma – it literally means “not able.”

There are two good reasons to use “disabled,” when talking about people with disabilities. First, disability is an identity. When we use other words to describe disability, we are erasing the identity – and when we erase identities, people are less likely to embrace them. This means accommodations and other ways of including people with disabilities take a back seat in people’s consciousness. Lawrence Carter-Long is a disabled advocate who talks about the importance of saying the word “disabled” in this article and through his viral hashtag, #SayTheWord.

Second, “disability” is a civil rights status. The ADA, IDEA, and the Rehabilitation Act (specifically section 504) and many other laws protect people with disabilities from discrimination. Despite many flaws in these laws, there is power in these protections that can help improve disabled lives. Rebecca Cokley is a disability rights activist who discusses this and other reasons in this opinion piece.

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