Physical Disability and Rehabilitation Sourcebook, 1st Ed.

By Omnigraphics

Provides an overview of the types of disability that limit an individual’s physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, and stamina, either as a structural or functional impairment. The characteristics of specific physical disability are outlined and examples of the ways in which physical disability affects individuals are explained, along with information on how to find government and local disability programs and resources.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Omnigraphics
• Release date: Oct 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9780780817708

Book preview

Preface

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Physical disability is an impairment or long-term loss in a person’s bodily functions that affect stamina, mobility, or dexterity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability. The CDC also reports that 2 in 5 adults aged 65 years and older have a disability. Rehabilitation helps people with disabilities to recover from and minimize the degree to which disability-associated symptoms adversely affect their lives through training. It provides tools needed to attain or maintain independence and self-determination.

Physical Disability and Rehabilitation, First Edition provides information about physical disabilities and their impact on society. Types of physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, and polio, are described, along with treatments. This book discusses health-related conditions related to physical disabilities and how to minimize and cope with their impact on the activities of daily living. Benefits for people with disabilities are addressed. This book also includes information about support services, such as employment and transportation services, available to people with disabilities.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is divided into parts and chapters. Parts focus on broad areas of interest. Chapters are devoted to single topics within a part.

Part 1: Understanding Disabilities defines disability as any condition of the mind or body that poses challenges in everyday life to people with such constraints. It mentions the different types of disability and their impact on society. It also helps in understanding the importance of including people with physical limitations in families and communities by ensuring accessibility, and lists the common barriers to participation experienced by people with disabilities.

Part 2: Conditions Leading to Physical Disabilities explains physical disability. It covers information about the types of physical disability and the treatments used to minimize symptom-related physical restrictions.

Part 3: Living with Physical Disability focuses on health-related conditions of disabilities, including healthy living. It also talks about physical disability and sexuality.

Part 4: Rehabilitation and Support Services for People with Disabilities provides information about the means by which people with disabilities can become or remain financially independent, including benefits for housing and opportunities for employment. It also discusses how assistive technology can help people with disabilities recover from injuries and move on with daily life.

Part 5: Additional Resources lists government and private organizations that provide services to people with disabilities.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC NOTE

This volume contains documents and excerpts from publications issued by the following U.S. government agencies: Benefits.gov; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD); Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD); National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA); National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); National Institute on Aging (NIA); National Institutes of Health (NIH); NIH News in Health; Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP); Office on Women’s Health (OWH); USA.gov; U.S. Department of Labor (DOL); U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); and U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

It may also contain original material produced by Omnigraphics and reviewed by medical consultants.

MEDICAL REVIEW

Omnigraphics contracts with a team of qualified, senior medical professionals who serve as medical consultants for the Disability Series. As necessary, medical consultants review reprinted and original written material for currency and accuracy. Citations including the phrase Reviewed (month, year) indicate material reviewed by this team. Medical consultation services are provided to the Disability Series editors by:

Dr. Vijayalakshmi, MBBS, DGO, MD

Dr. Senthil Selvan, MBBS, DCH, MD

Dr. K. Sivanandham, MBBS, DCH, MS (Research), PhD

ABOUT THE DISABILITY SERIES

At the request of librarians serving the one in four Americans who live with a disability and those seeking the information needed to understand, navigate, and manage a disability, the Disability Series was developed as a specially focused set of volumes within Omnigraphics’ Health Reference Series. Each volume deals comprehensively with a topic selected according to the needs and interests of these patrons. The volumes provide the authoritative health information that librarians rely on to arm consumers with the facts they need to take control of their well-being and address and inform themselves about health challenges that they or a family member or loved one are facing. Patrons seeking this information will find answers to their questions in the Disability Series. The Series, however, is not intended to serve as a tool for diagnosing disability, in prescribing treatments, or as a substitute for the healthcare provider–patient relationship. All people concerned about medical symptoms or the possibility of disability or illness are encouraged to seek professional care from an appropriate healthcare provider.

An accessible Disability Resource Center portal will serve as a companion product for this series.

If there is a topic you would like to see addressed in a future volume of the Disability Series, please write to:

Managing Editor

Disability Series

Omnigraphics

615 Griswold St., Ste. 520

Detroit, MI 48226

A NOTE ABOUT SPELLING AND STYLE

Disability Series editors use Stedman’s Medical Dictionary as an authority for questions related to the spelling of medical terms and The Chicago Manual of Style for questions related to grammatical structures, punctuation, and other editorial concerns. Consistent adherence is not always possible, however, because the individual volumes within the Series include many documents from a wide variety of different producers, and the editor’s primary goal is to present material from each source as accurately as possible. This sometimes means that information in different chapters or sections may follow other guidelines and alternate spelling authorities. For example, occasionally a copyright holder may require that eponymous terms be shown in possessive forms (Crohn’s disease vs. Crohn disease) or that British spelling norms be retained (leukaemia vs. leukemia).

Part 1 | Understanding Disabilities

Chapter 1 | What Is a Disability?

A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).

There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s:

Vision

Movement

Thinking

Remembering

Learning

Communicating

Hearing

Mental health

Social relationships

Although people with disabilities sometimes refers to a single population, this is actually a diverse group of people with a wide range of needs. Two people with the same type of disability can be affected in very different ways. Some disabilities may be hidden or not easy to see.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), disability has three dimensions:

Impairment in a person’s body structure or function, or mental functioning; examples of impairments include loss of a limb, loss of vision, or memory loss.

Activity limitation, such as difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, or problem-solving.

Participation restrictions in normal daily activities, such as working, engaging in social and recreational activities, and obtaining healthcare and preventive services.

Disability can be:

Related to conditions that are present at birth and may affect functions later in life, including cognition (memory, learning, and understanding), mobility (moving around in the environment), vision, hearing, behavior, and other areas. These conditions may be:

Disorders in single genes (for example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy)

Disorders of chromosomes (for example, Down syndrome (DS)) and

The result of the mother’s exposure during pregnancy to infections (for example, rubella) or substances, such as alcohol or cigarettes

Associated with developmental conditions that become apparent during childhood (for example, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder or ADHD)

Related to an injury (for example, traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord injury)

Associated with a longstanding condition (for example, diabetes), which can cause a disability such as vision loss, nerve damage, or limb loss

Progressive, static (for example, limb loss), or intermittent (for example, some forms of multiple sclerosis (MS))

WHAT IS IMPAIRMENT?

Impairment is an absence of or significant difference in a person’s body structure or bodily or mental functioning. For example, deficiencies in the structure of the brain can result in difficulty with mental functions, or problems with the structure of the eyes or ears can result in difficulty with the functions of vision or hearing.

Structural impairments are significant deficits involving an internal or external component of the body. Examples of these include a type of nerve damage that can result in MS, or a complete loss of a body component, as when a limb has been amputated.

Functional impairments include the complete or partial loss of function of a body part. Examples of these include pain that does not go away or joints that no longer move easily.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACTIVITY LIMITATION AND PARTICIPATION RESTRICTION?

The WHO published the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in 2001. The ICF provides a standard language for classifying body function and structure, activity, participation levels, and conditions in the world around us that influence health. This aids in assessments of the health, functioning, activities, and factors in the environment that either help or create barriers for people with disabilities to fully participate in society.

According to the ICF:

Activity is the execution of a task or action by an individual.

Participation is a person’s involvement in a life situation.

The ICF acknowledges that the distinction between these two categories is somewhat unclear and combines them—although basically, activities take place at a personal level and participation involves engagement in life roles, such as employment, education, or relationships. Activity limitations and participation restrictions have to do with difficulties an individual experiences in performing tasks and engaging in social roles. Activities and participation can be made easier or more difficult based on environmental factors, such as technology, support, relationships, services, policies, or the beliefs of others.

The ICF includes the following in the categories of activities and participation:

Learning and applying knowledge

Managing tasks and demands

Mobility (moving and maintaining body positions, handling and moving objects, moving around in the environment, moving around using transportation)

Managing self-care tasks

Managing domestic life

Establishing and managing interpersonal relationships and interactions

Engaging in major life areas (education, employment, managing money or finances)

Engaging in community, social, and civic life

It is very important to improve the conditions in communities by providing accommodations that decrease or eliminate the activity limitations and participation restrictions for people with disabilities, so they can participate in the roles and activities of everyday life.

This chapter includes text excerpted from Disability and Health Overview, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), September 4, 2019

Chapter 2 | Disability and Illness

A disability is a physical or mental impairment that makes it harder to do normal daily activities. You can be born with a disability or get it from an illness or an injury.

An illness is a sickness. Some illnesses, such as a cold or the flu, are acute, which means they come on quickly and are over with quickly. Other illnesses, such as asthma or diabetes, are chronic, which means they last a long time and perhaps a lifetime.

Many different kinds of disabilities and illnesses can affect people. If you have a disability or an illness, you know that taking care of your needs can be hard sometimes. But you can learn about the skills and support you will need to live well with a disability or chronic illness. Some things you can learn about here include:

Some types of illnesses and disabilities and how each one affects people in a different way

Tips to boost self-esteem and cope during tough times

How to play sports and stay active

A plan to help you do well in school

Tips for getting along with family, friends, and classmates

How to talk to your doctor and healthcare team

If you know someone with a disability or an illness, this chapter is for you, too. When you understand the types of challenges faced by someone with a disability or an illness, you will know how to be a better friend or family member to this person.

Keep in mind that people with disabilities are, above all, people who have great gifts to share. In fact, some people who might seem to have a disability don’t think of themselves as having one.

In the end, people of all shapes, sizes, and conditions want many of the same things in life—to feel good about themselves and their relationships, to be able to take care of themselves and their needs, and to pursue their hopes and dreams.

TYPES OF DISABILITIES AND ILLNESSES

Congenital disorders are disabilities and illnesses that start at birth (or before). If you have a congenital disorder, you have never experienced life without it.

Acquired disorders are disabilities and illnesses that develop after you are born. If you just developed a health condition, you may suddenly have a lot to handle.

If you’ve just learned you have a disability or an illness, you may not know exactly what it means or what to expect. You may wonder, How will this change my life? or How will I make it through this? You may feel scared, confused, or overwhelmed. These feelings are normal. Here are some things you can do to feel better:

Research your disability or illness. You can learn what it is, what causes it, how you manage it, and more.

Talk with caring people, such as parents, family members, teachers, and doctors.

Talk with other people who have a disability or an illness. Ask them about when they first found out and what they do to take care of themselves.

TIPS TO BOOST SELF-ESTEEM AND COPE DURING TOUGH TIMES

Ways to Build Self-Esteem

Having healthy or high self-esteem means that you feel good about yourself and are proud of what you can do. Having high self-esteem can help you to think positively, deal better with stress, and boost your drive to work hard. Having high self-esteem can also make it easier to try new things. Before you try something new, you think, I can do this, and not, This is too hard. I will never be able to do this.

If you have a disability or an illness, how does it affect your self-esteem? Do you find your self-esteem is affected by how you think others see you? Do people put you down or bully you? This can put your self-esteem at risk. If you need a self-esteem boost, take these steps:

Ask yourself what you are really good at and enjoy doing

Push yourself to try new things

Always give your best effort, and take pride in your effort

If you need help, ask for it

Join a support group

Volunteer to do something at school or in your community

Look for ways to take more control over your life

Speak up for yourself

Work on trying to feel good about how you look

If you still find that you are not feeling good about yourself, talk to your parents, a school counselor, a trusted friend or family member, or your doctor because you may be at risk for depression.

Your Feelings

Do you have some overwhelming feelings? Maybe you change from happy and confident one minute to sad and confused the next. You are not alone! Many people with a disability, and especially teens, may feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster. That is because so much is changing around you and inside you. Even your brain is changing. But you can learn how to cope with all kinds of feelings.

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Forms of Physical Activity

Types of exercise available to many people with a disability include:

Swimming laps

Taking a walk

Playing wheelchair basketball

Walking up the stairs

Important Physical Activity Tips

Before you start any physical activity program, talk to your doctor to make sure that it is okay. Your doctor will help you be active in the safest way possible.

Make sure you stop being physically active or playing a sport if you feel pain, feel sick, feel dizzy, or are short of breath.

Make sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after you are physically active.

Tips for Playing Sports Differently to Meet