Disability

The Disability Discrimination Act provides a broad definition of disability including:

• Physical disability: Impacts mobility or dexterity

• Intellectual disability: Impacts ability to learn or process information

• Mental illness: Impacts thinking processes

• Sensory disability: Impacts the ability to hear or see

• Neurological disability: Impacts the brain and central nervous system

• Learning disability: Impacts acquisition, organisation, retention, and understanding of information

• Physical disfigurement: Impacts physical appearance

• Immunological disability: Impact due to the presence of organisms causing disease in the body (Australian Disability Network)

A disability may be caused by accident, trauma, genetics or disease. A disability may be temporary or permanent, total or partial, lifelong or acquired, visible or invisible (Australian Disability Network)

• In 2018, there were 4.4 million Australians with disability, 17.7% of the population.

• 5.7% of all Australians had a profound or severe disability.

• Of those with disability (living in households), 59.7% of people had their need for assistance fully met. (Australian Bureau of Statistics).