Who?
Who are Differently-Abled People?
WHO defines impairment as a normal process of change with physical, anatomical and cognitive structure coming with age or other factors but does not interfere with the performance of activities expected from an individual. If impairment interferes with the process of education or work, it becomes a disability. The term `Differently Abled’ is used as a substitute for disabled or handicapped. It is often described in terms of lack of normal functioning of physical, mental or psychological processes. It is also defined as learning difficulties or difficulties in adjusting socially, which interfaces with a person’s normal growth and development.
The term was coined by the US Democratic National Committee in the early 1980s as a more acceptable term than handicapped (or, in the UK, disabled).
The Los Angeles Times reported in 1985:
"In a valiant effort to find a kinder term than handicapped, the Democratic National Committee has coined differently abled. The committee itself shows signs of being differently abled in the use of English."
These group of people are quite capable of accomplishinga particular task or function, only in a different manner and taking more time and effort than normal people.
Mental Retardation:- This refers to significantly sub average intellectual functioning in skills like communication, selfcare etc. Mental retardation manifests itself before the age 18.
Many mentally retarded people are able to participate in activities with non –disabled people given an appropriate adaptation and support. Others may require a long term structured programme. With adequate training and education such persons can be more self reliant citizens.
Autism: - Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that aff ects the functioning of the brain. It is a developmental disability typically affecting the processing, integrating and organizing of information that significantly impacts communication, social interaction, functional skills and educational performance.
Cerebral palsy (CP):- Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain. It is non - progressive. This is a condition characterized by paralysis, weakness in coordination and other motor dysfunction due to brain injuries occurring in the pre -natal, peri-natal or the infant period of development.
Learning Disability:- It is a disorder, which affects the basic processes of understanding or usingwritten or spoken language which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,think, read or write, to do mathematical calculations.
Hearing Impairment:- This includes deaf and hard of hearing. Deaf persons have a situation where the sense ofhearing is non-functional and they do not hear/understand sound at all,even with amplified speech.
A hard of hearing person is one who, generally with the use of hearing aid, has residual hearing sufficient to enable successful processing of linguistic information through audition.
Visual Impairment:- Blindness is a condition where a person may have any of the following conditions,namely
A person with low vision (Partially sighted) is a person with impairment of visual functioning even after treatment or standard refractive corrections but who uses or is potentially capable of using vision for planning or execution of task with appropriate assistive device.
Locomotor impairment:- It is a disability of the bone, joints or muscles leading to substantial restrictions of themovement of the limbs or a usual form of cerebral palsy and autism.Orthopedics disability is a locomotor disability. It is a person’s inability to executedistinctive activities associated with moving both himself and objects, from place to place.
The term was coined by the US Democratic National Committee in the early 1980s as a more acceptable term than handicapped (or, in the UK, disabled).
The Los Angeles Times reported in 1985:
"In a valiant effort to find a kinder term than handicapped, the Democratic National Committee has coined differently abled. The committee itself shows signs of being differently abled in the use of English."
These group of people are quite capable of accomplishinga particular task or function, only in a different manner and taking more time and effort than normal people.
Mental Retardation:- This refers to significantly sub average intellectual functioning in skills like communication, selfcare etc. Mental retardation manifests itself before the age 18.
Many mentally retarded people are able to participate in activities with non –disabled people given an appropriate adaptation and support. Others may require a long term structured programme. With adequate training and education such persons can be more self reliant citizens.
Autism: - Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. It is the result of a neurological disorder that aff ects the functioning of the brain. It is a developmental disability typically affecting the processing, integrating and organizing of information that significantly impacts communication, social interaction, functional skills and educational performance.
Cerebral palsy (CP):- Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the brain. It is non - progressive. This is a condition characterized by paralysis, weakness in coordination and other motor dysfunction due to brain injuries occurring in the pre -natal, peri-natal or the infant period of development.
Learning Disability:- It is a disorder, which affects the basic processes of understanding or usingwritten or spoken language which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,think, read or write, to do mathematical calculations.
Hearing Impairment:- This includes deaf and hard of hearing. Deaf persons have a situation where the sense ofhearing is non-functional and they do not hear/understand sound at all,even with amplified speech.
A hard of hearing person is one who, generally with the use of hearing aid, has residual hearing sufficient to enable successful processing of linguistic information through audition.
Visual Impairment:- Blindness is a condition where a person may have any of the following conditions,namely
- Total absence of sight
- Visual acuity not exceeding 6/60 or 20/200 or
- Limitation of the field of vision subtending an angle of 20 degrees or worse
A person with low vision (Partially sighted) is a person with impairment of visual functioning even after treatment or standard refractive corrections but who uses or is potentially capable of using vision for planning or execution of task with appropriate assistive device.
Locomotor impairment:- It is a disability of the bone, joints or muscles leading to substantial restrictions of themovement of the limbs or a usual form of cerebral palsy and autism.Orthopedics disability is a locomotor disability. It is a person’s inability to executedistinctive activities associated with moving both himself and objects, from place to place.
Some Special WHO's
Goya:
Spanish painter (1746–1828): at the age of 46 he became deaf but then also created the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Stephen Hawking:
Physicist/mathematician has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
John Milton:
English Author/poet (1608–1674):He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Ludwig van Beethoven:
Famous Musician – deaf
Helen Keller:
Blind, Deaf, and Mute.
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Franklin D. Roosevelt had Polio, was governor of New York State then elected President of the United States for 4 terms.
Christopher Reeve:
Christopher Reeve, the famous super hero, crippled after a horse–riding injury,wants to be up on his feet & wants to help others stand confident too. His life is now dedicated to harnessing the power of medical research to get up & ride again.
Robin Williams:
Famous Hollywood Star was diagnosed to be suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a child. He never refuses a role related to medicine e.g Awakenings, Patch Adams.
Sudha Chandran:
Indian actress and classical dancer dances with a Jaipur foot. She has acted in a movie on classical dance called “Nache Mayuri” & today is a successful T.V. actress.
Tom Cruise:
Hollywood Star, is severely dyslexic
Walt Disney:
Had a learning disability
Albert Einstein:
Ddyslexic
Michael Bolton:
Famous Singer, deaf in one ear
Marlee Matlin:
Marlee Matlin is a stand–up comedian and an actress. Some of her films include A Dead Silence, My Party, A Hear No Evil, A Bridge to Silence, A Walker, and A Children of A Lesser God. In 1987, she captivated the world by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film A Children of a Lesser God. Marlee Matlin became deaf in infancy due to Roseola infantum. However, deafness has not disabled her or her career.
Marla Runyan:
In Sydney, Marla became the first legally blind athlete to compete in an Olympics.
Major H. P. S. Ahluwalia:
An Indian mountaineer. He climbed Mt Everest on 29 May 1965.with his friends Rawat,Phu Dorji and Edmund Hillary. In 1965 Indo Pak war he was injured and confined to the wheel chair. He set up Indian Spinal Injury Society in 1993 and the founder of Indian spinal cord injury centre. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in 2002.
He has written several books like Higher than Everest, Beyond the Himalayas, Everest is within you.
Spanish painter (1746–1828): at the age of 46 he became deaf but then also created the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Stephen Hawking:
Physicist/mathematician has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
John Milton:
English Author/poet (1608–1674):He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Ludwig van Beethoven:
Famous Musician – deaf
Helen Keller:
Blind, Deaf, and Mute.
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Franklin D. Roosevelt had Polio, was governor of New York State then elected President of the United States for 4 terms.
Christopher Reeve:
Christopher Reeve, the famous super hero, crippled after a horse–riding injury,wants to be up on his feet & wants to help others stand confident too. His life is now dedicated to harnessing the power of medical research to get up & ride again.
Robin Williams:
Famous Hollywood Star was diagnosed to be suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a child. He never refuses a role related to medicine e.g Awakenings, Patch Adams.
Sudha Chandran:
Indian actress and classical dancer dances with a Jaipur foot. She has acted in a movie on classical dance called “Nache Mayuri” & today is a successful T.V. actress.
Tom Cruise:
Hollywood Star, is severely dyslexic
Walt Disney:
Had a learning disability
Albert Einstein:
Ddyslexic
Michael Bolton:
Famous Singer, deaf in one ear
Marlee Matlin:
Marlee Matlin is a stand–up comedian and an actress. Some of her films include A Dead Silence, My Party, A Hear No Evil, A Bridge to Silence, A Walker, and A Children of A Lesser God. In 1987, she captivated the world by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film A Children of a Lesser God. Marlee Matlin became deaf in infancy due to Roseola infantum. However, deafness has not disabled her or her career.
Marla Runyan:
In Sydney, Marla became the first legally blind athlete to compete in an Olympics.
Major H. P. S. Ahluwalia:
An Indian mountaineer. He climbed Mt Everest on 29 May 1965.with his friends Rawat,Phu Dorji and Edmund Hillary. In 1965 Indo Pak war he was injured and confined to the wheel chair. He set up Indian Spinal Injury Society in 1993 and the founder of Indian spinal cord injury centre. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan award in 2002.
He has written several books like Higher than Everest, Beyond the Himalayas, Everest is within you.