Disability: English Vocabulary List

the condition or state of being completely or partially unable to see

"He suffers from blindness."

"Color blindness is quite common in men."

a rare neurological condition in which a person is unable to move or speak, but retains full awareness and mental alertness

"Locked-in syndrome leaves the mind fully aware."

"Locked in syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles except the eyes."

the state or condition of being totally or partially unable to hear

"He has complete deafness."

"He has complete deafness and learned sign language from a very young age to communicate with others."

a complex developmental disorder stigmatized by persistent challenges with social communication and interaction or repetitive patterns of thought and behavior

"Autism spectrum disorder is complex."

"Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain that affects social communication and behavior."

a physical or mental condition that prevents a person from using some part of their body completely or learning something easily

"Her disability does not limit her ambition."

"The company installed wheelchair ramps and accessible bathrooms to accommodate employees with physical disabilities and comply with the new regulations."

surgical removal of a limb or a part of it

"Leg amputation performed."

"The doctor had to perform leg amputation after the serious accident last month."

a congenital condition where the neural tube, which forms the spinal cord and backbone, does not close properly during fetal development

"Spina bifida is a neural tube defect."

"Spina bifida is a birth defect where the spine and spinal cord do not form properly leaving a gap in the spine."

a neurological disorder affecting movement and coordination due to brain damage during pregnancy, childbirth, or early childhood

"Cerebral palsy affects movement and coordination."

"Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement and muscle tone caused by damage to the developing brain."

a central nervous system disorder that causes sudden, unprovoked, and recurrent seizures

"Epilepsy causes recurrent seizures."

"Epilepsy is a central nervous system disorder in which brain activity becomes abnormal causing seizures or periods of unusual behavior."

meaningless repetition or echoing of vocalizations made by another person, as a result of mental disorder

"Echolalia repeats sounds."

"Echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases spoken by another person often seen in children with autism spectrum disorder."

a condition where an individual lacks the ability to visualize or mentally create images in their mind's eye

"Aphantasia prevents mental visualization."

"Aphantasia is the inability to voluntarily create mental images in the mind's eye."

a specific neurobiological disorder marked by difficulty reading and spelling in individuals with otherwise unaffected intelligence

"Dyslexia makes reading difficult."

"Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words."

a genetic condition resulting in shorter stature than average, often caused by a variety of genetic and medical factors

"Dwarfism causes short stature."

"Dwarfism is a medical or genetic condition that causes a person to be significantly shorter than the average height."

unable to hear properly

"She is hard of hearing."

"My grandfather is hard of hearing and often asks people to speak up when they address him."

a state or condition in which a part of one's body or brain does not work properly

"He has hearing impairment."

"He has hearing impairment and uses special devices to help him communicate with other people effectively."

a disorder that affects the ability to comprehend or process information, particularly when not associated with physical disability

"A learning disability affects specific academic skills."

"A learning disability is a neurological condition that affects the brain's ability to receive process store and respond to information."

a type of paralysis that affects the legs and the lower body as the result of spinal cord damage

"She has paraplegia."

"The doctor explained that the spinal cord injury had resulted in paraplegia, affecting her mobility."

a condition in which someone is paralyzed from neck down

"Quadriplegia paralyzes all four limbs."

"Quadriplegia is paralysis of all four limbs and the torso caused by injury to the spinal cord in the neck."

the condition of being incapable of clearly seeing objects that are near to one

"He has longsightedness."

"With increasing age, many individuals develop longsightedness, making it difficult to read small print without glasses."