Overview
A person with physical disability has a physical impairment that affects how their body works. This can impact on the way they move, use their hands or interact with the world around them.
Important things to know about physical disability
- It can be temporary or permanent.
- It has many different causes.
- A person can be born with a physical disability or get it later in life.
What does physical disability look like?
Physical disability can affect the body in many different ways including:
- respiratory conditions (things that affect breathing)
- seizures or loss of consciousness
- chronic or recurring pain
- problems with the arms or hands that can result in difficulty in gripping or holding things
- problems with the legs and feet, which can make it hard to move around
- limits on the physical activity or work that a person can do
- changes to the body’s appearance.2
Some common examples of physical disability include:
- amputation
- cerebral palsy
- cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- epilepsy
- multiple sclerosis
- musculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis or back pain
- spina bifida
- spinal cord injury.
Physical disability and work
For people with physical disability, their condition may have an impact on their work in some way, but this will be different for every person. People with physical disability might have trouble with things like:
- getting around in the workplace
- using some computer equipment such as a standard keyboard or mouse
- dealing with fatigue
- handling objects, for example writing with a pen or using tools.
Every person with physical disability will need different changes or adjustments to their workplace to help them to do their job well.
The person with physical disability is an expert on the supports and adjustments that will help them to do their job safely and effectively.