disability
n. C / Un. a physical or mental condition that makes it harder for someone to do certain activities or interact with the world. It can be something a person is born with or something that happens later in life.
n. a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Often used in legal and medical contexts to determine eligibility for support or accommodations.
The building has ramps to help people with a physical disability.
The new law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for any employee with a documented disability.
Social models of disability argue that people are disabled by barriers in society, such as lack of physical access or negative attitudes, rather than by their medical conditions alone.
Circa 1570 disable + -ity.
Often used with the preposition 'with' when referring to a person. In modern professional contexts, person-first language ('person with a disability') is generally preferred over using the adjective as a collective noun.
the disabilities peoplepeople with disabilitiesIn English, it is more respectful and grammatically standard to use 'people with disabilities' rather than using the noun as a direct modifier for people.