11 Facts About Physical Disability

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1. Physical impairment refers to a broad range of disabilities which may be congenital (meaning the person was born with the condition) or a result of injury, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, heart disease, pulmonary disease or more.
2. One of the major difficulties persons with disabilities face is gaining access to buildings, rooms and other facilities. Handicapped people, for example, must look for ramps, parking places and environments that are generally wheelchair friendly.
3. Some persons may have non-visible disabilities which include pulmonary disease, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and other limiting conditions.
4. Two to three out of every 1,000 children in the U.S. are born deaf or hard-of-hearing. Nine out of every ten who are born deaf are born to parents who can hear.
5. There are an estimated 57,696 legally blind people under the age of 21 in the U.S.
6. Congenital heart disease, a problem with the heart's structure and function due to abnormal heart development before birth, affects nine of every 1,000 children.
7. Less than 200,000 Americans suffer from a leg-weakening nerve disease called hereditary spastic paraplegia, which can rob children of their ability to walk. The average age of having HSP is 24.
8. Cerebral palsy, which permanently affects body movement and muscle coordination, is one of the major causes of childhood paralysis.
9. 500,000 kids in the U.S. are affected by cerebral palsy.
10. Dwarfism, a medical or genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4'10" or shorter, affects over 1.5 million people in the U.S.
11. Dwarfs encounter access issues unique to their short-stature, including inability to reach gas pumps, pay phones, and ATM's.