Hearing impairments are the full or partial loss of ability to perceive or detect sounds. Hearing loss can be caused by biological or environmental factors. Depending on the type and degree of hearing loss, people will communicate using different methods. Many people know and use American Sign Language. In schools, it is common for a person with a hearing impairment to use Communication Access Real-Time Translation, or CART. A CART provider types the words being said out aloud onto a screen for the person with a hearing impairment to read. Hearing impaired folks might write to communicate with hearing people.
Visual impairments include the state of being blind, legally blind, having low vision and being partially sighted. A person can have decreased vision from biological or environmental causes. Several eye disorders that lead to visual impairments include cataracts, glaucoma and albinism. Those with visual impairments must learn to navigate the world without the ability to see printed material, videos, images, body language and facial expressions. Braille, a language system of raised bumps on a page, makes it possible for blind people to feel the words. Screen readers are used to read anything on the computer screen to the person. Those who are blind often use white canes to safely walk through streets and buildings.
Anyone who has trouble processing information efficiently when reading, writing, spelling, doing math, listening, talking or translating languages might have a learning disability. Each person has a specific set of actions she struggles with. Accommodations a school provides might include giving the student more time to complete a task, allowing a student to work in a room with decreased distractions or stating alternative explanations of concepts. Examples of learning disabilities are dyslexia (a reading or interpretation difficulty) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (a struggle to pay attention and a penchant for impulsive behavior).
Mobility impairments include a wide range of abilities and disabilities that relate to how a person moves through the physical world. People with mobility impairments might use a wheelchair, scooter, crutches or cane. Access to buildings, sidewalks, restaurants and public spaces becomes a problem for people with mobility impairments, as many establishments do not have ramps, wide doors and bathrooms that are accessible to wheelchair users. Many people with mobility impairments do not use assistive devices, but might have problems overcoming other barriers including stairs.
Chronic health conditions include any disorder or disease that will affect a person for a long period, if not their entire life. People with chronic health disorders are often affected by perpetual physical pain (which sometimes creates mobility problems), emotional pain and financial burdens. Chronic illnesses can include AIDS, arthritis, heart disease, respiratory conditions and Crohn's disease.
Mental health conditions limit one or more essential life activity. Mental health conditions are often controlled with medication and other alterations to the person's life that create balance and mental healthiness. The average person will feel mentally ill sometime in his life, whether it is from temporary depression or anxiety. However, those with disabilities experience these feelings for longer periods. For example, many people will perpetuate an eating disorder for years, in addition to having constant depressive episodes or intermittent anxiety attacks.