There are many ways in which someone can be categorised as disabled. This is based on whether the person has a physical or mental impairment with a substantial long term adverse effect on the person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

People with hearing impairment are classed and referred to as deaf. People who have lost the use of their legs are described as lame or physically-challenged, because that condition is very visible.  There are people who are referred to as albinos because they have a condition called albinism, a genetic condition characterised by a lack of or insufficient melanin pigment in the skin, hair and eyes, resulting in a characteristic pale appearance. Albinism is deemed a disability because it causes visual impairment. Some people are referred to as mentally challenged because their intellectual or learning abilities are impaired or they have a form of mental illness which affects their day-to-day functioning. Lastly, there are those who are referred to as blind because they are visually-impaired.

The main issue is that no matter a person’s condition or challenge, no one should be made to feel inadequate or incapable of greatness. This is because it is possible that some people who are considered to be challenged are capable of performing better, even beat expectations, than those who are considered to be able-bodied and without any disabilities. As a visually-impaired person, I would like to centre my discussion and emphasis on people with visual impairment, also referred to as blindness. It is not my intention to give priority to any group over another because we share the same objective of wanting to make life bearable for everyone with disability.

To be continued…….