physics

Physical disability

Physical disability is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Physical disability rather than just read about it. In short: A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning or limitations in executing activities (e.g. walking or eating). The term physical disability is very broad, and a range of disabilities are included.

Key takeaways

Physical disability belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Physical disability to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Physical disability from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A physical disability is a limitation on a person's physical functioning or limitations in executing activities (e.g. walking or eating). The term physical disability is very broad, and a range of disabilities are included. Some examples of physical disabilities include: blindness, deafness, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and some genetic disorders. The severity of impairments and restriction in daily activities vary widely between different types of physical disability. An inclusive and accessible environment may mitigate many restrictions. The World Health Organization does not differentiate between physical and mental disabilities. People with physical disabilities may face persecution and discrimination.

Causes Physical disabilities can be caused by a variety of factors. While some physical disabilities can be acquired before birth (pre-natal), others might be a result of a physical injury or illness (post-natal). Some disabilities may be gained before or after birth, such as vision loss. Prenatal disabilities are acquired before birth. These may be due to diseases or substances that the mother has been exposed to during pregnancy, embryonic or fetal developmental accidents or genetic disorders. Perinatal disabilities are acquired between some weeks before to up to four weeks after birth in humans. These can be due to prolonged lack of oxygen or obstruction of the respiratory tract, damage to the brain during birth (due to the early umbilical cord clamping, for example) or the baby being born prematurely. These may also be caused due to genetic disorders or accidents. Post-natal disabilities are gained after birth. Disabilities can be gained throughout the entire life. They can be due to accidents, injuries, obesity, infection or other illnesses. Research suggests the leading cause of post-natal disabilities to be road traffic injuries.

Types Physical disability is a broad term and includes many different types of impairments. Some might severely restrict a persons ability to execute daily functions and cause them to rely on the help of a care-taker. Others might rely on assistive technology, such as a wheelchair or a hearing aid. Mobility impairment includes limb loss or impairment, poor manual dexterity, paraplegia and damage to one or multiple organs of the body. Depending on the condition, impairment varies widely in severity. Sensory impairments include partial or complete loss of one (or more) of the senses. The most common sensory impairments are visual impairments and hearing loss. Deaf and hard of hearing people have a rich culture and benefit from learning sign language for communication purposes. People who are only partially deaf can sometimes make use of hearing aids to improve their hearing ability. While tactile, gustatory and olfactory disabilities do exist, they occur less common. Some people with disabilities might have multiple disabilities, such as one or more co-occurring cognitive and physical disability.

Assistive technology

Management of physical disability depends on the condition. Pain is a significant problem for many persons with physical disabilities. Many challenges from inaccessible physical environments can be countered with assistive devices, which advance inclusion.

Mobility aids: wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and prosthetic limbs. Hearing aids: for people with hearing loss. Visual aids: including guide dogs, canes, and screen readers. Communication devices: augmentative and alternative communication devices for people with expressive language impairments.

See also Disabilities affecting intellectual abilities – Subnormal intellectual functioning (cognitive disorder) Developmental disability – Disability beginning before adulthood Mental disorder – Medical condition

References

Further reading Grmek, Mirko Dražen; Gourevitch, Danielle (1998). Les maladies dans l'art antique. Fayard. ISBN 978-2-213-60154-0. OCLC 300914958. Flemming R (1 April 2000). "Les maladies dans l'art antique". Medical History. 44 (2): 269–270. ISSN 0025-7273. PMC 1044257. Wikidata Q46018654. Mirko Grmek. (1983). Les maladies à l'aube de la civilisation occidentale, Paris. Brothwell D (1 January 1986). "Les maladies à l'aube de la civilisation occidentale". Medical History. 30 (1): 97–97. ISSN 0025-7273. PMC 1139586. Wikidata Q46213461.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Physical disability

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Physical disability claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Physical disability before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Physical disability ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Physical disability

In research: Physical disability appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Physical disability in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Physical disability is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Disability, Disability by type, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Physical disability outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Physical disability in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Physical disability means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Physical disability out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Physical disability in simple terms?

Why does Physical disability matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Physical disability?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Physical disability.