Disability Definitions

What is a disability?

There are a very broad range of disabilities that may affect an individual's ability to communicate, interact with others, to learn or function independently.

For some individuals with a disability, their condition may only be short, whilst for others it may be long term or episodic.

The Federal Disability Discrimination Act (1992), definition of "disability" is very broad and includes:

• Physical
• Intellectual
• Psychiatric
• Sensory
• Neurological, and
• Learning disabilities, as well as
• Physical disfigurement, and
• The presence in the body of disease-causing organisms

This broad definition is meant to ensure that everyone with a disability is protected.

Communication Strategies:

Interaction with people with disabilities can sometimes be an unfamiliar and difficult experience for some people within the community. This may be the case because individuals are unsure of what to say, the words to use or how to approach the person with a disability without offending them.

Communicating with people with a disability requires commonsense and simple sensitivity. Above all, people must remember to be respectful, polite, thoughtful and communicate in a way that meets the needs of the individual or group that you are speaking with.

In some circumstances it may be appropriate to ask the individual – what communication methods work best for them or in the case of students what format of class work best suits their needs and what can be done to improve their access to class material. If an individual is comfortable and familiar with their needs and you are aware that they are happy to disucss their disability then who better to pass on communication strategies than the individual.

Some general communication strategies may include:

• Accept that some disabilities may be “invisible” but may present challenges for the person when communicating with you.
• Be patient, people with some kinds of disability may take a little longer to understand and respond.
• If you can’t understand what’s being said, ask the person again.
• If you are unsure about the best way to communicate with the person, ask them.
• People from other cultures may not be familiar with the terms “disability” or “impairment”. Use descriptive language to help them understand.

We would like to acknowledge that this information was developed by TAFE NSW – Illawarra Institute.

This project is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations under the National Disability Coordination Officer Program. The views expressed in these materials are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.