Overview
Generally speaking a physical disability is identified as a disability associated with a physical impairment. That is, total or partial loss of a part of the body or bodily functions, or the malfunction, malformation or disfigurement of a part of the body.
Some people are born with physical disabilities, while other physical disabilities are caused by illness, injury or accident.
It is important to be aware that some physical disabilities may not always be visible and will not always impact a student’s capacity to learn.
Examples
Physical disability includes a broad range of impairments such as:
- Allergies
- Amputee
- Back Pain
- Cerebral Palsy
- Diastrophic Dysplagia (dwarfism)
- Dysgraphia/Fine Motor Difficulty
- Injury to shoulder/arm/wrist/hand/knee/ankle/foot etc
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Osteogenisis Imperfecta (brittle bones)
- Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Scoliosis
- Spina Bifida
Fact sheets
- Teaching & Assessment Strategies for Students with Physical Impairments (CATS website)
- Impacts of other impairments on study (CATS website)
Resources
- HealthInsite (an Australian Government initiative providing up-to-date and reliable information on a range of health conditions)
- JobAccess (a comprehensive list of information about disability, including physical disability)
Additional support
- Physical Disability Council of NSW
- Physical Disability Australia
- MS Australia
- Association of Consultants in Access, Australia (national association working to achieve accessibility of the built environment for people with a disability)