People with physical and mental challenges deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

disability

profound deafness

mental retardation

Americans with Disabilities Act

Physical Challenges

Most physical challenges affect sight, hearing, and motor ability.

Physical Challenges

Almost 20 percent of American adults have some type of disability.

DisabilityAny physical or mental impairment that limits normal activities, including seeing, hearing, walking, or speaking

Physical Challenges

Most physical challenges fall into one of three categories

Sight impairment

Hearing impairment

Motor impairment

Sight Impairment

Sight impairment can affect people of all ages.

 

Regular eye exams can lead to early diagnosis of many conditions and help prevent blindness or slow its progress.

Sight Impairment

Common Causes of Blindness

Diabetes

Macular Degeneration

Glaucoma

Cataracts

High blood sugar levels lead to damage of the retina

A disease in which the retina degenerates

A disease that damages the eye’s optic nerve

A condition in which the eye’s lens becomes clouded

Sight Impairment

Guide dogs are trained to assist the visually impaired and the hearing impaired.

Hearing Impairment

Almost 30 million Americans have disabilities that affect their ability to hear.

 

Hearing problems range from mild to severe.

 

Hearing Impairment

The most acute form is profound deafness.

Profound deafnessHearing loss so severe that a person affected cannot benefit from mechanical amplification, such as a hearing aid

Hearing Impairment

Heredity

Injury

Disease

Obstruction

Nerve Damage

If one or both parents have hearing impairment, their child is more likely to develop it as well.

An injury to the ears or head, such as a skull fracture, can cause hearing loss.

Ear infections, brain tumors, measles, and other conditions can lead to hearing loss.

Hearing loss is sometimes caused by a buildup of wax or a bone blockage in the ear.

Nerve damage often occurs with age, but it can also result from repeated exposure to loud noises.

Motor Impairment

People with motor impairments cope with physical challenges in different ways, depending on their situation.

Motor Impairment

Occupational therapy helps people learn how to perform everyday functions so that they can lead independent lives.

Motor Impairment

Assistive devices help people perform everyday tasks.

 

Examples include motorized wheelchairs, special computers, and artificial limbs.

Mental Challenges

Mental disabilities have been linked to several different causes.

Making healthful choices can help prevent mental impairment.

Mental Challenges

One challenge that affects a person’s ability to live independently is mental retardation.

Mental retardationA below-average intellectual ability present from birth or early childhood and associated with difficulties in learning and social adaptation

Mental Challenges

Factors that Cause Mental Retardation

Injury

Disease

Brain abnormality

Genetic disorders

Behaviors during pregnancy

Rubella infection during pregnancy

Restricted oxygen supply

Accommodating Differences

It is important to provide equal treatment and opportunities for people with physical and mental challenges.

Advocacy efforts have resulted in laws and policies that address discrimination.

Accommodating Differences

Public transportation vehicles and building entrances must be wheelchair accessible.

People should be evaluated on the basis of individual merit, not on assumptions about disabilities.

People with disabilities, to the extent they are able, should have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Accommodating Differences

In 1990, the U.S. government passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)A law prohibiting discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities in the workplace, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications.

Accommodating Differences

ADA Provisions

Employers with 15 or more employees must give qualified individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from employment-related opportunities.

Accommodating Differences

ADA Provisions

State and local governments must provide accessible entrances in buildings and communicate effectively with people who have hearing, vision, or speech disabilities.

Accommodating Differences

ADA Provisions

Telephone companies must set up telecommunications relay services (TRS) that allow callers with hearing and speech challenges to communicate through an assistant.

Accommodating Differences

In 1998, the government passed the Workforce Investment Act.

 

This law ensures that any information posted to a Web site by a government agency must be accessible by those who are disabled.

After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary

Any three: Complications from diabetes, macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts

1. What are three common causes of blindness?

After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary

2. What is an assistive device?

A device that helps a physically challenged person perform everyday tasks

After You ReadReviewing Facts and Vocabulary

3. Is mental retardation preventable? Explain

Sometimes; certain behaviors during pregnancy and failure to get rubella immunizations can increase the risk of mental retardation.