PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
This mobility device provides freedom and independence for millions of people and should never be described as "confining" someone.
What is a wheelchair?
This is the primary language of the Deaf community in the U.S. It is a complete natural language with its own grammar — not just signed English.
What is American Sign Language (ASL)?
According to the World Health Organization, this mental health condition is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over 280 million people.
What is depression?
This Grammy-winning artist revealed she has Tourette Syndrome, saying she's had tics since childhood.
Who is Billie Eilish?
This percentage of all disabilities are estimated to be invisible — meaning you cannot tell by looking at someone that they have a disability.
What is 70%?
This is the most common motor disability in childhood, affecting movement and muscle tone, caused by abnormal brain development or damage.
What is cerebral palsy (CP)?
Most people who are legally classified as this can actually perceive some light, shapes, or movement. Complete absence of vision is quite rare.
What is blind / blindness?
This condition develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Often associated with veterans, it actually affects many non-military people too.
What is PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)?
This Olympic gymnast, considered the greatest of all time, has been open about having ADHD and taking medication for it.
Who is Simone Biles?
Created by Christine Miserandino, this popular metaphor uses a kitchen utensil to explain how people with chronic illness must budget their limited energy daily.
What is Spoon Theory?
This joint condition affects over 58 million American adults and is a leading cause of work disability — yet many dismiss it as "just getting old."
What is arthritis?
Only this percentage of spoken English is visible on the lips, which is why lip reading alone is extremely unreliable for most Deaf and hard of hearing people.
What is 30%?
Despite media stereotypes, people with this condition — characterized by altered perception of reality — are actually more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.
What is schizophrenia?
Known as the "Mother of Disability Rights," this activist used a wheelchair, fought for Section 504, led the longest federal building takeover in U.S. history, and wrote Being Heumann.
Who is Judy Heumann?
This autoimmune disease, which Selena Gomez lives with and needed a kidney transplant for, causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue and can affect skin, joints, kidneys, and brain.
What is lupus?
This condition involves incomplete development of the spine and spinal cord, often requiring surgery and can lead to mobility challenges.
What is spina bifida?
This technology, often paired with a hearing aid, helps Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals perceive speech through vibrations or visual cues.
What is a cochlear implant?
This mood disorder causes extreme shifts in energy, activity, and mood, often cycling between mania and depression.
What is bipolar disorder?
This music icon, blind from infancy, has won numerous Grammys and advocated for disability inclusion in the music industry.
Who is Stevie Wonder?
This condition causes chronic widespread pain and fatigue, often dismissed as "all in your head," affecting millions globally.
What is fibromyalgia?
This genetic disorder causes progressive muscle weakness and wasting, often leading to loss of mobility and respiratory function.
What is muscular dystrophy?
This condition affects the brain’s ability to process sensory input, causing overwhelming responses to stimuli like lights, sounds, or textures.
What is sensory processing disorder?
Developed in the 1960s, this therapy focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns to improve emotional regulation.
What is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?
This author of The Story of My Life was Deaf and blind, yet became a renowned lecturer and advocate for disabled rights.
Who is Helen Keller?
This neurological disorder involves recurrent, severe headaches that can last days or weeks and may include visual disturbances.
What is migraine?