Disabilities in Society

Cerebral palsy is a  congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture.  Cerebral palsy is due to abnormal brain development, often before birth.  Symptoms include exaggerated reflexes, floppy or rigid limbs, and involuntary motions. These appear by early childhood.  Signs and symptoms vary among people.   Often, symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles,  weak muscles and tremors.   There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing and speaking.  Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as early as other children of their age.   Other symptoms may include seizures  and problems with thinking or reasoning,  either of which occurs in about one third of people with CP. Cerebral palsy shows disability in the inability of movement. As some cases can be more severe for some individuals, some with CP require a wheelchair for movement because they have quadriplegic CP, wherea...

Epilepsy is  a neurological disorder marked by sudden recurrent episodes of sensory disturbance, loss of consciousness, or convulsions, associated with abnormal electrical activity in the brain.  Epilepsy may occur as a result of a genetic disorder or an acquired brain injury, such as a trauma or stroke. Individuals with epilepsy undergo seizures.  During a seizure, a person experiences abnormal behavior, symptoms, and sensations, sometimes including loss of consciousness. There are few symptoms between seizures, however seizures cannot be controlled and happen involuntarily.  Stigma is commonly experienced, around the world, by those with epilepsy.   It can affect people economically, socially and culturally.   In India and China, epilepsy may be used as justification to deny marriage.   People in some areas still believe those with epilepsy to be cursed .  In parts of Africa and Asia, such as Tanzania  and Uganda , epilepsy is incorrect...

Parkinson's is a disorder of the central  nervous system that affects movement, often including tremors.  Nerve cell damage in the brain causes dopamine levels to drop, leading to the symptoms of Parkinson's.  Parkinson's often starts with a tremor in one hand. Other symptoms are slow movement, stiffness, and loss of balance.  Medications can help control the symptoms of Parkinson's. Ages affected are generally 20 years and older, but it is more common in individuals 40 years of age and older.  Symptoms begin gradually, often on one side of the body. Later they affect both sides.   As symptoms get worse, people with the disease may have trouble walking, talking, or doing simple tasks. They may also have problems such as depression, sleep problems, or trouble chewing, swallowing, or speaking.  Daily living can become very difficult for those affected by Parkinson's, especially activities that used to be easy for affected individuals, including  ...

Down syndrome  is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21. Individuals with Down syndrome are born with this conditions.  Down syndrome causes a distinct facial appearance, intellectual disability, developmental delays, and may be associated with thyroid or heart disease.  Early intervention programs with a team of therapists and special educators who can treat each child's specific situation are helpful in managing Down syndrome. Individuals with Down syndrome possess varying degrees of cognitive delays, from very midl to severe.  Down syndrome is especially looked at as a disability within society, as those with Down syndrome are very set apart from a "typical individual." However, there are many judgements and negative beliefs about Down syndrome, some of those being:  people with Down syndrome cannot be active members of their community, segregated special education programs are the only...

Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. The body constantly absorbs and replaces bone tissue. With osteoporosis, new bone creation doesn't keep up with old bone removal. Many people have no symptoms until they have a bone fracture. Treatment includes medications, healthy diet, and weight-bearing exercise to help prevent bone loss or strengthen already weak bones. It severely i nhibits daily function, as those with this disability sometimes cannot even walk on their own. In most cases, it is diagnosed later in life.   This condition shows disability because those with osteoporosis do not have strong enough bones to function on their own. However, osteoporosis can be overcome, and many with the condition can be integrated back into society. Pam was diagnosed with osteoporosis at ag e 46,...

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. It causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and ultimately the ability the carry out day-to-day tasks. The moods of bipolar range from periods of extremely "up," elated, and energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very sad, "down." or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes). Both the manic and depressive periods can be brief, from just a few hours to a few days. Or the cycles can be much longer, lasting up to several weeks or even months. The periods of mania and depression vary from person to person-many people only experience very brief periods of these intense moods, and may not even be aware that they have the disorder.  Bipolar disorder can also be an invisible disability, especially with the stigma against mental health. This stigma has prevented people to feel comfortable with talking about what they're ...

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, is a serious developmental disorder that impairs the ability to communicate and interact. It refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and difference. There is not one autism but many types, caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences. The term "spectrum" reflects the wide variation in challenges and strengths possessed by each person with autism. Autism's most obvious sings tend to appear between the ages of 2 and 3. Some developmental delays associated with autism can be identified and addressed even earlier. Signs of autism include:  Inappropriate social interaction  Compulsive behavior  Repetitive movements  Persistent repetition of words or actions  Learning disability  Speech delay  Intense interest in a limited number of things  Proble...

Depression is a mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Depression can be categorized as major depressive disorder or clinical depression, and it is a common yet serious mood disorder. Disorders that surround mental health can be seen as invisible disabilities, because you cannot tell that someone may have this disability just by looking them. Rather, it is what goes on inside their head-but it is a disability nonetheless. There is a large stigma surrounding mental health, a stigma in which people are scared to talk about depression, or admit they have it. However mental health is extremely important, and this stigma only plays into the role of disabilities being looked down upon in society.  Depression causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working; it can control your day-to-day life. The World Heal...

Those who are deaf are hearing impaired. Deafness is lacking the power or being unable to hear. Being deaf can also be labeled as "hard of hearing," as deaf people have little to no hearing. The community of deaf and hard of hearing individuals is diverse, as there are many different ways for someone to become deaf or hard of hearing, as well as different levels of hearing ability, age of onset, educational background, communication methods, and cultural identity. In children, hearing problem can affect the ability to learn spoken language and in adults it can cause work related difficulties. The causes of hearing lost can be due to a number of factors, including:  Genetics  Age-ing  Exposure to loud nose Infection Birth complications Trauma to the ear Certain medication or toxins  Chronic ear infections (very common) Sign language (and sign language modifications)  Speech reading Face-to-face communication systems  S...

Those who are blind are visually impaired. Blindness is defined as the state of being sightless; an individual who is blind is not able to see anything. Being blind can a be result of a number of different things. In the medical world, there are 23 different conditions that cause blindness:  Head injury Glaucoma Retinal detachment Hypertensive retinopathy  Cataract Macular degeneration Diabetic retinopathy  Retinal vascular Occlusion  Stroke Optic neuritis  Chlorine Poisoning  Strabismus Intracranial hemorrhage  Vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders  Subarachnoid hemorrhage Brain aneurysm  Tay-Sachs disease Injury  Basal cell nevus syndrome Ito syndrome Sarcoidosis  Krabbe disease Albinism  Blind individuals can be born with this condition, or can acquire sightlessness at some point during their lifetime. Although many people believe blindness to be binary-either you see or you don't-this is not alw...