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EDTK2030

Graded Discussion 4 - 5%
Impairment, Disability, Or Handicap?
There is a very clear distinction between the disabled and able bodied. “This is not the decisive
difference between the two groups. Handicap is a social construct. There is a biological sub-
stratum, but what it means to be handicapped to others and to oneself is overwhelmingly social
and decisively political" (Roth, 1983, p. 56). (John Frederiksen, Mike Martin, Leonor Moniz
Pereira, Ramxa2n Puig de la Bellacasa and Stephen von Tetzchner)
I had to do some research to get a definition that resounded with me. The above sums it up and
convey the message that these terms, “depend on who’s shoes we are walking in.” The saying,
“in the land of the blind the one-eyed person is king!” is apt here. However, there are guiding
definitions that guide our thoughts on these issues.

“The words “impairment,” “disability,” and “handicap,” are often used interchangeably. They
have very different meanings, however. The differences in meaning are important for
understanding the effects of neurological injury on development.” (Sheena L. Carter, Ph.D.)
The World Health Organisation has provided definitions to be used appropriately when
discussing, “these conditions.”
International Classification of Impairment, Disability, and Handicap (WHO 1980):
Impairment – any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or
function.
Disability – any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the
range considered normal for a human being.
Handicap – the result when an individual with an impairment cannot fulfill a normal life role.
The above definitions can be used to describe persons with varying degrees situations that
affect their daily lives. They are inherently linked to the, “individual but describe different
aspects of their condition”. The world we live in today is, “tooled,” for those of us who have,
“less of these conditions prevalent.” I believe this is what leads to the terms being used
contextually wrong on many occasions by many groups and individuals. The example that
follows explains the definitions and the misinterpretation of the definitions.
“Cindy is an 8-year-old who has extreme difficulty with reading (severe dyslexia). She has good
vision and hearing and scores well on tests of intelligence. She went to an excellent preschool
and several different special reading programs have been tried since early in kindergarten.”
“Impairment: While no brain injury or malformation has been identified, some impairment is
presumed to exist in how Cindy's brain puts together visual and auditory information. The
impairment may be inability to associate sounds with symbols, for example;”
Here it is explained that the impairment can lead to a disability if it is not remedied. Therefore,
the progression to leading a, “normal life, is dependent on remedying the impairments”
“Disability: In Cindy's case, the inability to read is a disability. The disability can probably be
improved by trying different teaching methods and using those that seem most effective with
Cindy. If the impairment can be explained, it may be possible to dramatically improve the
disability by using a method of teaching that does not require skills that are impaired (That is, if
the difficulty involves learning sounds for letters, a sight-reading approach can improve her
level of disability).”
“Handicap: Cindy already experiences a handicap as compared with other children in her class
at school, and she may fail third grade. Her condition will become more handicapping as she
gets older if an effective approach is not found to improve her reading or to teach her to
compensate for her reading difficulties. Even if the level of disability stays severe (that is, she
never learns to read well), this will be less handicapping if she learns to tape lectures and
"read" books on audiotapes. Using such approaches, even in elementary school, can prevent
her reading disability from interfering with her progress in other academic areas (increasing her
handicap).”
The handicap referred to above came about because of the non-remedying of an impairment
which led to a disability. The disability was a consequence of the impairment not being
remedied and the continued disability leads to a handicapped situation.
Words in quotation marks above regarding the example retrieved from;
Developmental Progress Clinic (DPC) Home.
http://www.pediatrics.emory.edu/divisions/neonatology/dpc/Impairment%20MX.html
From the example is clear that impairments can lead to disabilities. If there is no progressive
change or remedy the individual is, “deemed handicapped.” The above example illustrates a
situation where it was diagnosed from a young age. Therefore, individuals can become
handicapped through accidents, illness etc. Today through technology, science and proper
healthcare, impairments and disabilities can be remedied and stave off the onset of
handicapped status.
Regards,
Bobby Boodram.
References
Roth, 1983, p. 56 (John Frederiksen, Mike Martin, Leonor Moniz Pereira, Ramxa2n Puig de la
Bellacasa and Stephen von Tetzchner)
Sheena L. Carter, Ph.D.
The World Health Organisation (1980)
Developmental Progress Clinic (DPC) Home.
http://www.pediatrics.emory.edu/divisions/neonatology/dpc/Impairment%20MX.html

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