 Disability- any physical or mental impairment that limits normal activities, including seeing, hearing, walking, or speaking  20% of adult population have some type of disability  Have difficulty doing things that others take for granted

Physical ChallengesPhysical Challenges Sight Impairment  Leading cause of blindness is the result of diabetes  Macular degeneration- leading cause for those over 55- retina (back of eye) degenerates  Glaucoma- a condition in which there is high pressure in the fluids in the eye, damages optic nerve

 Regular eye exams are very important  Early diagnoses of these conditions help prevent blindness or slow its progress

Hearing Impairment  Profound deafness- hearing loss so severe that a person affected cannot from mechanical amplification such as a hearing aid  Causes  Heredity  Injury  Disease  Obstructions- build up of wax, bone blockage or foreign object  Exposure to loud noises

Motor Impairment  Result when the body’s range of motion and coordination are affected by an injury to the brain or disorder of the nervous system  Physical therapy used to keep joint flexible and muscles stretch

Mental ChallengesMental Challenges  Mental retardation- the below-average intellectual ability present from birth  Affects 3% of population  Many are only mildly affected  Causes  Injury  Disease  Brain abnormality

 Some factors are related to genetic disorders  Down syndrome-  there is an extra copy of chromosome 21  includes physical and mental challenges  Phenylketonuria (PKU)-  born without the ability to properly break down an amino acid called phenylalanine  harmful to the central nervous system and cause brain damage.

 Tay-Sachs-  deadly disease of the nervous system passed down through families-  defective gene on chromosome 15chromosome 15  Fragile X syndrome  involving changes in part of the X chromosome-chromosome  includes physical and mental challenges

 Behaviors during pregnancy a factor  Use of alcohol and drugs increase risk of a child born with mental challenges  Fetal alcohol syndrome- causes growth, mental, and physical problems with child resulting from the mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy

 Other causes  Restricted supply of oxygen during birth  Head injury  Stroke  Certain infections such as meningitis

Accommodating Differences  People with physical and mental challenges and their supporters have worked to establish  Society should make changes to allow people with disabilities to take part in business and social activities  People should not be stereotype and label because of their disability  People with disabilities should have the same opportunities as other

 Americans with Disabilities Act- a law prohibiting discrimination against people with physical or mental disabilities in the work place, transportation, public accommodations, and telecommunications  Examples  Wheelchair ramps  Telephone companies offer communication relay services