Abstract
A disability is an impairment (a physical, mental, or emotional abnormality) that interferes with at least one activity of daily living (bathing, feeding, dressing, or toileting) or independent activity of daily living (balancing a checkbook, paying bills, preparing meals, shopping). Disability of some amount and type is so common as to affect everyone at some time in life. Significant disabilities interfering with major work and life activities are also very common, and their likelihood is underestimated. Approximately one in seven American adults will have a period of disability of 3 months or longer prior to retirement (McNeil 1990). About one in five Americans is estimated to have some level of disability, either mental or physical, with about half of these having a disability that interferes with two or more activities of daily living.
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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Conill, A., Bowman, M.A. (2002). Disability. In: Women in Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0031-1_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0031-1_8
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