The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a disability as “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).”

In simple terms, a disability is any condition that impacts a person’s physical or mental capacity, preventing them from growing or developing like their peers. While people grow and develop at different rates, it becomes a problem when a child cannot walk at age two or when a five-year-old cannot talk clearly or play/act like their agemates.

Studying disabilities is essential because it helps us to advocate for these people who, more often than not, cannot speak up for themselves. By advocating for them, we push for full inclusion, genuinely standing on the pulpit and preaching the All Lives Matter mantra. Another reason we study disabilities is to know and understand them and then plan programs to help make their lives easier and better.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals advocates for people with disabilities in at least four goals. These goals — 4, 8, 10, and 11 — focus on education, growth, employment, inequality, and data collection and monitoring of the SDGs.

The World Health Organization, in March 2023, estimates that 16% of the world’s population (1.3 billion people) is living with a significant level of disability. In 2019, the UN estimated that over 80 million Africans live with disabilities. It is difficult to ascertain the exact number of this population, especially in African regions, because of a lack of proper record keeping and research, especially in rural areas. This is detrimental because living conditions and poverty have been associated with the degree and prevalence of these conditions.

Disorders. Impairments. Syndromes.

These four terms are often used interchangeably to refer to a deviation from ‘normal’ human functioning. Additionally, there are a lot of grey areas between them, as a person with an impairment can have a disorder that can lead to an intellectual disability. A person with a syndrome can also have multiple impairments, and the cycle continues. These conditions also affect the biological and social functioning of the affected persons.

However, in professional and clinical settings, these conditions are distinct, and dealing with them under their respective categories leads to improved medical care, clearer communication, and targeted interventions.

Syndromes

A syndrome is a group of symptoms or signs that usually occur together, indicating a specific disease or abnormal condition. A syndrome is not a disease, nor does it point to a cause. Instead, it helps you identify the problem. A syndrome is also not a disease because you can always determine what causes a disease. On the other hand, a syndrome can have genetic, environmental, or unknown causes.

Syndromes are those similar characteristics you can identify in genetically unrelated people. Syndromes are often named after the medical practitioners who first noticed them. For example, Down and Marfan syndromes were first studied and described by the British doctor Dr. John Langdon Down (1866) and French doctor Dr. Antoine-Bernard Marfan (1896), respectively. Some other syndromes are Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Impairments

An impairment describes a loss or abnormality in the body’s structural, physiological, or mental function. Impairments are usually internally or externally identified in the body. It is a deviation from the way the body normally functions.

Unlike disabilities, which focus on societal barriers and functional limitations, impairments revolve around anomalies or loss of a physical, sensory, or mental attribute. People with difficulty seeing or hearing have visual or auditory impairments, which means the corresponding systems are not functioning correctly. Similarly, cognitive impairment affects memory and cognitive capabilities.

Impairments can arise from several causes — congenital anomalies, diseases, accidents, or other health conditions. A person with a syndrome may have multiple impairments. People with Down syndrome have intellectual impairments and physical abnormalities like heart defects, while those with Carpal Tunnel syndrome have impairments in their hands, like numbness, tingling, and weakness.

Depending on their severity, impairments might be temporary (voice impairments from laryngitis) or permanent (visual impairment from retinal damage). Some can be managed with medicated glasses (visual impairments), hearing aids (auditory impairments), and crutches/wheelchairs (ambulatory impairments).

Disorders

Disorders are medical or psychological conditions characterized by a disruption of normal bodily or mental functions. Disorders can have several causes, including genetic factors, environmental influences, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these causes. Every disorder has its symptoms, which help in diagnosis and treatment.

There are various categories of disorders, and some include:

1. Mental Health Disorders: These affect moods, behavior, and cognitive functioning. Examples are depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders.
2. Neurological Disorders: These involve the nervous system affecting movement, cognition, and sensory perception. Examples are Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis.
3. Genetic and Developmental Disorders: These result from abnormalities in genes or developmental processes. Examples are Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Intellectual disabilities.
4. Physical Health Disorders: These cover all conditions that affect body organs, systems, and functions. Examples are heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
5. Eating Disorders: These are primarily psychological and characteristic of people with abnormal eating patterns. Examples are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
6. Sleep Disorders: These disrupt regular sleep patterns and affect overall health and well-being. Examples are insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy.

From these categories, we can see that disorders encompass more diseases and syndromes. Treating or managing a disorder depends on how severe the condition is and can include medication, therapy, lifestyle modifications, surgery, or a combination of more strategies. Early diagnosis and appropriate management go a long way to determining the impact of these disorders on the quality of the individual’s life.

So What Is The Difference?

What sets disabilities apart from these conditions is the practical and societal challenges the affected individual experiences. While syndromes, impairments, and disorders delve into an individual’s medical, structural, or functional abnormalities, disabilities highlight how abnormalities cause limitations in daily life, especially in societal structures and expectations.

The World Health Organization describes disability as a general term for “impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions.” A person has a disability when their syndrome, impairment, or disorder prevents them from performing tasks typical of anybody within their age bracket, cultural context, or environment.

This differentiation model emphasizes that a disability is not a health problem; instead, it is the relationship between a person’s body and their immediate society. For example, let us take a person with a visual impairment because of retinitis pigmentosa (a disorder). If this person cannot access information or go to public places because there is no allowance for those with visual challenges in these places, they have a disability.

…to be continued