Disability law is a set of laws stipulated and regulated by the government for people with disabilities to protect them from discrimination, particularly related to employment, education, housing, and access to other public services. The law provides people with disabilities with reasonable accommodations and equal opportunities.
What counts as a disability?
- You have a mental or physical impairment that has a long-term and substantial adverse impact on your faculty to carry out everyday activities
- Your impairment is fluctuating or recurring, i.e., the effects come and go and would likely affect you throughout your life as certified by your doctor
- Your medical condition that affects the proper functioning of your daily activities is progressive, i.e., it gets worse and worse as you age
Four types of disability
The four disabilities covered by the disability law are physical, behavioral, developmental, and sensory. While many cases fall under these umbrellas, some can fall under more than one. A medical professional will be able to tell you under what category your condition or impairment falls.
- Physical: Any condition that stops you from standard body control and movements, such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy, is a physical disability. Individuals with such disabilities have weakened muscle fibers or even brain damage. The causes of these physical disabilities can include genetics, serious illness, and the like.
- Behavioral: Behavioral disabilities are emotional and have many characteristics. Many, if not all, fall under the category of an inability to maintain or build interpersonal relationships, feelings of anxiety or depression, and learning disability. ADD and bipolar disorders are classic examples of behavioral disabilities. The symptoms include depression, irritability, and impulsivity.
- Developmental: Developmental disabilities usually are detected early on. Physical or mental impairments cause developmental disabilities. Common among them are fragile x syndrome and down syndrome. Both these conditions affect the body and brain development and, in some cases, can cause autism.
- Sensory: Sensory disabilities occur when your senses are not functioning on an average level. Common sensory impairments include deaf or limited hearing and blind or visually impaired. While infection and injury can cause sensory disabilities, genetics can play a role too. In any case, you can be compensated under the disability law if certified by a medical doctor.
Making use of the law
Disability law is an instrument through which we can abolish discrimination against people with disabilities, thereby eliminating barriers toward inclusion and integration in society. It enables individuals with disabilities or impairments to enjoy and exercise their rights to the full, who would otherwise be unable to function as ordinary citizens.
If you are unsure if disability law can take care of your condition, you need to get advice from your medical doctor. Also, ask them what the consequences would be if you stopped taking medication or treatment and the kind of activities you should try and avoid, such as driving, traveling alone, etc.
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