I have personally heard people use the terms 'impairment', 'disability' and 'handicap' interchangeably.  However, though they might be related, these words do not mean the same thing. While some people may fall into all three categories, it is for different reasons.

 

           Impairment refers to an organ or structure of the body that has a problem or abnormal function. It can be psychological, anatomical or physiological and can happen suddenly, over time or from birth (Wilby, 2019). An example of an impairment is that a man named Mark has been involved in a car accident that has damaged his spinal cord.  As a result he is paralyzed from the neck down.  He would be considered mobility impaired.

 

            A disability is when the impairment causes a limitation or restriction.  The person in question is not able to perform in what is considered a normal manner or carry out a normal range of motion.  The person's ability to perform a function is reduced or limited (Науменко, Борисова, & Березовський, 2017).  As a result of his spinal cord injury, Mark has lost his ability to walk and perform personal self care. He would be termed as physically disabled.

 

            A handicap refers to the direct impact an impairment and/or disability has on a person's normal life activities. These individuals can no longer do things that other people can do of the same sex and age (Hallberg & Carlsson, 1993).  Mark would be considered handicapped as he is not able to care for himself, move around without assistance using a special wheel chair that must be pushed around for him and he is entirely dependent on others to assist him.

 

​

References

Hallberg, L. R.-M., & Carlsson, S. G. (1993). A Qualitative Study of Situations Turning a Hearing Disability into a Handicap. Disability, Handicap & Society, 8(1), 71–86. https://doi-org.library.open.uwi.edu/10.1080/02674649366780051

 

Науменко, Л., Борисова, І., & Березовський, В. (2017). New approaches to definition of disability criteria in family doctor practice. Family Medicine, 4(72), 74-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.30841/2307-5112.4(72).2017.117656

 

Wilby, M.L. (2019). Physical mobility impairment and risk for cardiovascular disease. Health Equity, 3(1),527-531. http://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2019.0065