Life with a disability.
Disabled people are often talked about as though they form one group, but every disabled person and their family face a different set of challenges and health conditions. The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as anyone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse affect on his or her ability to carry out day-to-day activities. These impairments include but are not limited to:
- Loss of limbs
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebral Palsy
- Heart disease
- Downs Syndrome
- Learning difficulties
- Mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety
Older people are more likely to develop a disability and most disabled people are adults.
About 4.4 million Canadians (14.3%) reported having a disability in 2010. The percentage of Canadians with disabilities increased with age, ranging from 3.7% for children 14 years and under to 56.3% for those 75 years and over. More people are living with a disability now than in the past because we’re living longer, and improved medical treatments are enabling more people to manage long-term health problems.
Disabilities of any kind present challenges, but this doesn’t mean that life with a disability can’t be fulfilling. For most people, a fulfilling life means having control over their day-to-day activities and being able to choose how they live.