Appreciating Children and Youth with Disabilities
In Canada, more than 540,000 youths aged 15 to 24 years (13%) had one or more disabilities (2017 Canadian Survey on Disability). Data from the Canadian Survey on Disability shows that about four per cent of youth aged 15 to 24 years have a disability.
Refresh Your Knowledge About Disability
What is a disability?
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities describes persons with disabilities as those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Disability, according to the Canadian Human Rights Act , can be defined as a physical or mental condition that is permanent, episodic, ongoing, or of some persistence that is significant enough to limit a person’s ability to carry important life activities. The disability may be visible or invisible like cognitive, behavioral, learning or any mental health issues.
Types of Disabilities
A physical disability is a limitation to a person’s mobility or dexterity that limits their movements or activities. A person with a physical disability may use some sort of adapted equipment for mobility or to complete tasks.
Types of Physical Disabilities:
Paraplegia/Quadriplegia
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Hemiplegia
Cerebral palsy
Absent limb/reduced limb function
Dystrophy
Polio
An intellectual disability (also commonly referred to as a developmental disability among other terms) is, simply stated, a disability that significantly affects one’s ability to learn and use information. It is a disability that is present during childhood and continues throughout one’s life. A person who has an intellectual disability is capable of participating effectively in all aspects of daily life, but sometimes requires more assistance than others in learning a task, adapting to changes in tasks and routines, and addressing the many barriers to participation that result from the complexity of our society. Examples of an intellectual disability might include someone who has Down Syndrome, Autism, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or another label, however, there are people with an intellectual disability may not have a medical diagnosis.
A psychiatric disability (or mental illness) is characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour associated with significant distress and impaired functioning. They can develop at any age and are often not apparent to other people. Mental illnesses can include stress-related conditions (eating disorders, problem gambling, substance dependency), depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and schizophrenia.
A visual disability is a limitation in a person’s ability to see. It covers a broad spectrum, from the point where sight is impaired enough to interfere with daily activities such as reading, cooking or driving, up to total blindness. A visual disability can be caused by a multitude of factors, including disease, accidents, and congenital illnesses. There is a difference between the needs of visually impaired individuals and blind people.
A hearing disability results in limitations to hear in one or both ears. This can range from a mild disability to profound deafness. Deafness and hearing loss can be caused by a wide range of factors, including physical damage, disease during pregnancy, or exposure to very loud noises.
A neurological disability is associated with damage to the nervous system that results in the loss of some physical or mental functions. A neurological disability may affect a person’s capacity to move or manipulate things or the way they act or express their feelings. The way they think and process information may also be significantly influenced. The brain and the spine are the areas of the body most closely associated with neurology. Heart attacks, serious infections, and lack of oxygen to the brain may also result in a neurological disability.
Is a child's disability influenced by their environments?
For children and youth, it’s important to remember that a disability does not just exist in the child but also in a child’s relationship with the society around them. Disability often results from attitudinal and other barriers that may hinder a child’s ability to participate in their community and do things like playing sports with their peers and participating in community recreation programs.
How easy is it for children and youth with disabilities to learn new skills?
Children and youth of all abilities are capable of learning many skills, including skills related to movement, physical activity and sport. Most children and youth with disabilities have experienced success learning alongside their peers in regular school classrooms. To varying degrees, children and youth with disabilities may have difficulties with learning new things and performing physical tasks. While they may have difficulties learning movement and sport skills in traditional ways, they can often learn new things in their own ways (such as seeing a task demonstrated by their coach or peer or doing tasks with some extra guidance and/or adapted equipment). It may take longer to learn new skills. It may require modifications to the activity or rules of the game. It may require physical adaptations to the site or facility to provide access. However, with proper support, guidance and accommodations, children and youth with disabilities can participate fully in community sport.