Legal Definitions - disability

Disability is a term that is subjective and is determined on a case-by-case basis. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability is defined in three ways:

• Actual disability: This refers to an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Examples of physical impairments include cerebral palsy, visual impairments, hearing impairments, and muscular dystrophy. Mental impairments include mental illness, difficulties with learning, and developmental impairments. Major life activities may include eating, hearing, walking, seeing, bending, learning, speaking, and more.
• Record of disability: This refers to an individual who has a history or record of such impairments.
• Regarded as disabled: This refers to an individual who is regarded to have these impairments.

The law is very strict towards discrimination against people with disabilities. The ADA ensures equal treatment for disabled people in areas such as employment, transportation, access to state and federal programs and services, and more.

Disability in a legal sense is often used in contracts, which means a lack of legal capacity to enter a contract due to either being a minor or experiencing a serious physical or mental impairment.

For example, if someone has cerebral palsy and has difficulty walking, they may be considered disabled under the ADA. This means that they are entitled to equal treatment and access to services and programs, just like anyone else. Another example could be someone with a history of mental illness who is regarded as disabled. They may also be entitled to equal treatment and access to services and programs.