Glossary of Disability Terms
Below are the terms often used in the disability community.
intellectual disability: is a disability that involves significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills. This disability originates before the age of 18 and encompasses a wide range of conditions, types, and levels. Intellectual disability is caused by factors that can be physical, genetic, and/or social.
learning disability (LD): A lifelong disorder that affects a person’s ability to either interpret what he/she sees and hears or to link information from different parts of the brain. These limitations can show up in many ways—as specific difficulties with spoken and written language, coordination, self-control, or attention. A person with a learning disability may have normal intelligence; however, there is a significant discrepancy in intelligence level and his/her ability to learn and perform certain tasks. Most people with learning disabilities alone are not eligible for developmental disabilities services but may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation services.
legal blindness: Corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye or visual field contraction of 20 degrees or less.
mental retardation (MR): Mental retardation is characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before age 18. The term ‘intellectual disability’ is synonymous with the term ‘mental retardation,’ and is generally replacing it.
muscular dystrophy (MD): A group of over 40 neuromuscular disorders characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the muscles that control movement. The muscles of the heart and some other involuntary muscles are also affected in some forms of muscular dystrophy, and a few forms involve other organs as well. While all muscular dystrophy disorders are genetic, they are not always inherited. Onset of muscular dystrophy can be from birth to middle age, depending on the type of neuromuscular disease.
multiple sclerosis (MS): A disorder of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) involving decreased nerve function because of scars that form on the covering of nerve cells. Onset usually occurs from age 20 to 40, resulting in difficulties in walking, talking, sensing, seeing, and grasping.