Summary of Study Session 2

In Study Session 2, you have learned that:

1. ‘Disability’ refers to a functional limitation as a result of impairment and the interaction with barriers in the environment.
2. Impairment is the loss of a function of the body. Types of impairment can be categorised as physical, sensory, psychosocial and intellectual.
3. There are several types of barrier that cause exclusion including physical, social/attitudinal, institutional and communication barriers.
4. Care is needed when talking to or about people with disabilities. Disrespectful language can cause offence and can be a barrier to full participation.
5. Estimates of the number of people with disabilities in Ethiopia vary but there are at least one million and probably more.
6. Collecting data about people with disabilities is challenging. The Washington Group’s short set of six questions are standard questions that provide comparable data about disability.