Disability

Definition

Disadvantage imposed by societal barriers excluding people with impairments.

Prerequisite chain

1. Condition. A physical/mental impairment exists (not in dispute)
2. Functional status. Barriers (buildings, attitudes, policy) block participation
3. Applied test. Never assessed via medication - only via the environment's inclusiveness

Qualifiers

• Severity. Intensity of environmental barriers
• Duration. N/A
• Scope. N/A
• Other. Accessible vs. inaccessible society

Impact

The negative effect is caused by inaccessible buildings, attitudes, and policies, not the impairment itself.

Example

A wheelchair user is "disabled" by a building with no ramp, not by the impairment itself.