What Is a Disability?
What Is a Disability?
Disability is a multi-faceted human experience. It can affect how someone moves, communicates, learns, works, or manages daily activities. Many people are born with disabilities. Some disabilities develop over time or happen because of an illness, injury, or other life event. Some are visible, while others are not always apparent.
But what does it mean to have a disability? Many question if they are considered disabled. How do you find out? Federal civil rights law, Social Security disability benefits, and the Independent Living Movement each approach disability from a different perspective.
What Is a Disability Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination in areas such as employment, public services, transportation, and access to businesses and public accommodations.
Under the ADA, the definition of disability has three prongs. A person only needs to meet one of these three criteria to qualify as a person with a disability under the definition.
- An impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
The first prong covers a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, speaking, learning, reading, concentrating, working, and caring for oneself. They also include the operation of major bodily functions, such as circulation, reproduction, and individual organs.
Examples may include:
- A person with cerebral palsy whose mobility is substantially limited.
- A person with a hearing impairment who experiences substantial limitations in hearing.
- A person with a mental health condition that substantially limits concentration, thinking, sleeping, or other major life activities.
A disability does not have to be visible to qualify. Under the ADA, an impairment that is episodic, in remission, or invisible can still qualify if it substantially limits a major life activity.
- A record or history of a disability
The second prong protects people who have a history of a physical or mental impairment that substantially limited a major life activity, even if the condition does not currently cause substantial limitations.
Examples may include:
- A person who has a history of cancer that is now in remission.
- A person who previously had a mental health condition that substantially limited major life activities.
This protects someone’s history from becoming a reason for discrimination. For example, someone should not be unfairly denied an employment opportunity because an employer learns about a past disability.
- Being regarded as having a disability
The third prong protects a person who experiences discrimination because another person or organization believes they have a physical or mental impairment, whether or not the impairment substantially limits a major life activity.
Examples may include:
- An employer refuses to hire a qualified applicant because of the applicant’s visible scars from a severe burn.
- A person is excluded from a community activity because organizers incorrectly assume that a perceived impairment makes participation impossible.
- An employer takes prohibited action against an employee based on assumptions about a perceived mental health condition.
This prong focuses on discrimination based on actual or perceived impairment. Under the ADA, the “regarded as” prong generally does not cover impairments that are both transitory and minor. People who qualify only under this prong are also not automatically entitled to reasonable accommodations; accommodation rights generally depend on meeting the first or second prong.
What Is a Disability Under Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
The definition of disability used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) is different from the ADA’s definition. While the ADA focuses on civil rights and protection from discrimination, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) provides financial benefits to people whose disabilities prevent them from engaging in substantial work.
To qualify for SSDI, a person must have a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that prevents them from engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA) and that either is expected to result in death or is expected to last for at least 12 consecutive months.
So, what does this mean?
A medical condition alone is not enough. The SSA evaluates how a person’s medically documented impairment affects their ability to work, along with the duration and severity of the impairment.
For example:
- A person with a chronic condition may qualify if its documented effects prevent substantial gainful activity for the required duration, and the person meets the other eligibility requirements.
- A person with a serious mental health condition may qualify if the condition significantly affects their ability to sustain work and satisfies SSA’s criteria.
The SSA asks five questions to decide if someone has a qualifying disability.
How does the SSDI definition differ from the ADA?
Someone can qualify as a person with a disability under the ADA and still not qualify for SSDI. For example, a person may be entitled to workplace accommodations and protection from discrimination while continuing to work.
For more information about Social Security’s definition and eligibility criteria, visit the Social Security Administration’s disability definition page.
What Is a Disability Under the Independent Living Philosophy?
The Independent Living (IL) Philosophy approaches disability from a different perspective. Rather than focusing exclusively on a medical diagnosis or what a person cannot do, it emphasizes individual choice, equal access, and the removal of barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in their communities.
The Independent Living Movement recognizes that a person’s opportunities are shaped not only by their impairment but also by the accessibility of their environment, the availability of support, and the attitudes of the people around them.
For example, a wheelchair user may encounter barriers when a building has stairs but no accessible entrance. A person who is Deaf may face barriers when public meetings lack qualified interpreters or other effective communication access. A person with an intellectual or developmental disability may face barriers when information is not available in plain language or when others make decisions for them without respecting their preferences.
In these situations, the barriers themselves can restrict participation and independence. IL recognizes that people with disabilities are not problems to be fixed, but individuals who deserve the same opportunities, choices, and freedoms as everyone else.
Independent Living Definition of Disability
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 provides the authority and funding for Centers for Independent Living and State Councils like INSILC. The Centers provide IL services to people with disabilities, and together with the Council, work to create and progress the State Plan for Independent Living.
Under the Rehab Act, Centers are funded to provide IL services to individuals with significant disabilities, which is defined as:
“an individual with a severe physical or mental impairment whose ability to function independently in the family or community or whose ability to obtain, maintain, or advance in employment is substantially limited and for whom the delivery of independent living services will improve the ability to function, continue functioning, or move toward functioning independently in the family or community or to continue in employment, respectively.”
However, individuals with a disability that is not considered significant are still welcome to reach out to Centers for information, referral, peer support, and more.
Why Understanding Disability Matters
Understanding disability through the ADA, SSDI, and the Independent Living Philosophy helps us see that disability is not defined in the same way in every setting.
The ADA establishes a framework for civil rights protection. SSDI uses specific medical, work-related, and duration requirements to determine eligibility for benefits. The Independent Living Philosophy emphasizes the right of people with disabilities and barriers to make their own choices, access appropriate supports, and participate fully in community life.
At the Indiana Statewide Independent Living Council (INSILC), this understanding informs our commitment to a future where Hoosiers with disabilities have the same choices, opportunities, freedom, and control over their lives as people without disabilities.
Disability inclusion begins with recognizing people as individuals, respecting their lived experiences, and working to remove the barriers that stand in the way of equality and independence for all.