Distinguishing between the terms disability and impairment was imperative in order to describe the social oppression faced by people with disabilities in society during the times of the disability civil rights movement. For example, without accessibility laws, people with a mobility impairment are automatically excluded and labeled disabled because elevators and other ADA accommodations were not normalized. 


Importance of Having a Common Language During the Rise of the Disability Civil Rights Movement


Disability is a socially constructed phenomenon and is subject to change. Impairment has a biological basis. Individuals can be one without the other. Thus, having an impairment does not automatically imply someone is disabled.  


Arizona State University

- Disability versus Impairment 
- Stigmatization versus marginalization 



Defining Relevant Constructs to Help Outline the Problem 


The Development of the Disability Rights Movement as a Social Problem Solver | Disability Studies Quarterly. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/399/545

The Development of the Disability Rights Movement as a Social Problem Solver 

Distinguishing the Terms Disability and Impairment



The Disability Civil Rights Movement understands marginalization as a structural boundary that occurs in formal, impersonal settings. This results in stigmatization on an interactional level.


Learn Before

Related

Learn After