The difference between impairment, disability, and handicap! (Quick read)
In exploring Psychology of Exceptionality (First post located here), people often tend to confuse these three terms. I wish to briefly describe them for you.
Impairment: Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function.
Disability: An inability or a reduced capacity to perform a task in a specific way.
Handicap: The impact or consequence of a disability, not the condition itself. In other words, the result of the disability's severity.
An impairment is the abnormality itself, and a disability is the restriction that is caused by the abnormality. A handicap is the manner in which the impairment restricts the normal functioning of an individual. However, someone who has a disability doesn't necessarily mean they're handicapped. "Disability describes the mental or physical limitation a person has, and handicap refers to the disadvantage she experiences because of it."
Any questions, feel free to post them. Thanks for reading. Next subject will come soon.
lol that's funny .. you want to send that to Social Security? I'm not trying to go political, but those people, as well as Obama, are a joke. I have epilepsy/seizures, but they are under control w/my medication. I am a mechanic and I make a decent income and I don't receive moneyoff the state, but my insurance is from Medicaid or w/e. So they are saying they want to cancel my insurance b/c I am "functional enough" to work so I don't need insurance. Ugh .. Everyone needs a job. I have epilepsy, but I can still work. If they cancel my insurance, I will not be able to afford my medication, so then what? I am so sick of these terms disabilities and handicapped .. So many people get insured just b/c they have a little anxiety attack.
I apologize for your situation, Trans. Sincerely. It's not an easy process when dealing with the government. I should mention, however, that GAD (general anxiety disorder) can be a very serious, scary condition. I am working with someone in real life with GAD and it will take many years before their case goes through successfully. The legality behind it is absurd, but one could argue those safe measures are needed.
Although this isn't the place for it, I would recommend you speaking with a lawyer if you haven't already. They're the ones who specialize in the legality behind disability insurance. They would know what you would need from the legal standpoint to get what your truly need. I really hope you consider this (if you haven't already) because countless firms provide free consultations.
I wish you the best of luck; thanks for sharing!
@TransAm85
you and I are in a similar situation. I recently developed DVT and pulmonary embolism at age 36, where I was hospitalized twice and almost died twice with blood clots in my lungs and legs. At age 16 I attempted suicide with a gun shot to the abdomen. At age 21 I joined the U.S. Army for 3 years where I requested to ETS (exist out) due to mental instability, the military is a very structured and stressful job. So, my doctor advice me to be on blood thinners for life. The blood thinners in itself is a risk especially xarelto. My doctor says any freak accident while on high dosage blood thinners could cause internal blooding or external bleeding to death if not had medical attention immediately. So he said working is not a option unless risk death somehow. Mind you I have a mental issue where I'm taking medication for some type of mild schizophrenia. I actually wasn't supposed to be accepted in the military with such a condition. The suicide attempt was due to the mental condition that went on for years unchecked because my family is super religious and thought it was some devilish force that prompt my suicide attempt and not economic and social issues that trigger an mentally unstable person to escape by way of suicide. The military gambled on letting me in because I begged superiors to override there protocols, side note - I hate feeling incompetent or diasabled So me personally I hate being disabled or incapable of doing things for myself and sometimes by myself. Despite my conditions I'm very head strong and driven to be independent. I was an honor student in college when my condition didn't get in the way. Was able to achieve awards in the military and was inducted into and honors society in college but of course I'm functioning just as a normal person would but there are some unseen latency that can cause things to go down hill very fast, so now that I'm under a mental health counsel I was advised that I had a mental condition for years and perhaps I'm strong enough to endure certain challenges but not invincible to over come them to eradicate them because they will only get worse without proper treatment and self-medicating and religious faith alone won't work. So, now I'm at the final stage of a 3 year wait for a hearing for disability. Mind you many attorneys told me that if I didn't have a case they would not accept my claim if they saw it was a losing case because they get paid off of a winning case. So I have had 2 attorneys so far. The first recommended the second attorney when I moved from that county because she said they deal with cases by region in my state. So the second attorney waits until a month before the hearing to so call prep me for the hearing. And the question she ask are along the lines of a handicap person. So she say "well if you can do these certain things then you must not be disabled". -- I'm not trying to be disabled at all and I don't want to lie about my abilities so maybe I can do certain things and maybe not as in a timely manner or up to standards as others but my military career showed some capabilities although I was under extreme scrutiny for not always meeting requirements but I guess that's just me wanting to be a win by any means abs shun being viewed as a loser even when it's a condition out of my control that have me restricted, where I can function but at a cost if mental breakdown occurs in the process. And this is what my mental health doctors tells. That's temporary or short time functioning doesn't equate to functioning as a consistent career. So back to the attorney with her questioning -- And I reply with "well why are you taking my case and what's the difference between being handicap and disabled". She ask me can I and do I cut mow my own lawn and I said say. So, I'm here on this site to make a distinction between being totally non-functional and partially functional and for how long can i repeat a task before either my mental state restrict me or my blood clots or the medicine for my blood clots restricts me. I told her the truth about what I can and cannot do and it's as if I'm supposed to lie like I'm handicapped or something. Mind you I was recommended by my doctor to do all this crap to begin with. I don't know how to be disabled legally nor mental or physically. But I get where you coming from with your seizure because my son have seizures. There are things you can do but others you might not can do but that should not stop you from working if you can and it should not be a punishment with your insurance or health care based on certain restrictions and abilities. I won't blame Obama who is nothing more than a puppet like the rest working for corporate America and the interest of those who would never worry about disabilities or insurance because they are super rich and own or control insurance companies anyway. I just think this handicap vs. disability has too many grey areas with 1 section is defined legally and the other physically or mentally. So Im forced to lie about what I can and cannot do as if I'm handicapped just to get disability when my attorney didn't even consider partial disability. This shut is a headache! I been out of work for 3 year just to fall under disability when of course it's things I can do. It's either be totally disabled and handicapped in order to get some assistance when I feel I only need what I need and not all the extras. I take it that you too have to be completely non functional or at least act like you are completely non functional just to keep your health care insurance in tact. This shit is unfair and it pushing people to be a crutch and totally dependent on a flawed system where stupid political policies play with the common man.
@Ej I have only begun to question what this terminology meant when a healthcare provider, oddly enough, a respiratory therapist, because she said I wasn't handicapped because I wasn't born with limitations, but developed them through disease. I have a rare terminal neurological disease, and as debilitating as the physical aspects can be, the mental and emotional are perhaps worse. Are you aware of where she could have gotten such definitions? She kept telling me that those were medical definitions.
@TricnJoe
Hello, nice to meet you!
It would be useful to know why the healthcare provider wanted to explain you that, are they providing health care services to you? Does their definition impacts on the services you could have access to? I suppose that those services depend also on someone's country provenience . I would really help you by sharing some useful links to clarify better everything in order to your personal situation in your social context so if you feel like sharing more informations i will do my best to find useful links.
I'm a listener so i would be glad to converse with you whenever you could feel to need emotional support, i will be always available for a 1-1 conversation!
Take care 
