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The Disability Services Commission has developed this training package for public authorities to use in staff training. About Disability. Section One. This section covers:. What is a disability? Types of disability Causes of disability Impact of disability Prevalence in WA
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The Disability Services Commission has developed this training package for public authorities to use in staff training
About Disability Section One
This section covers: • What is a disability? • Types of disability • Causes of disability • Impact of disability • Prevalence in WA • Future trends in disability
What is a disability? • Any continuing condition that restricts everyday activities. • Affects capacity to communicate, interact, learn and / or get about independently. • Usually permanent but maybe episodic.
Types of disability • Sensory • Neurological • Physical • Intellectual • Cognitive • Psychiatric
Causes of disability • Genetically determined • Environmentally determined • Of unknown cause
Impact of disability The exact impact varies according to: • the specific nature and severity; • person’s strength, stamina, size, weight and age; • person’s ability to cope; and • the physical, social and economic environment.
Prevalence in WA • 405,500 (20.6%) of Western Australians have a disability. • 246,800 (12.6%) people are carers. • One in 17 people aged 15 years and over has a disability and is a carer.
Future trends in disability • The number of Western Australians with disabilities is increasing. • There will be 615,500 Western Australians with a disability in 20 years time – a 115% increase.
Resources • WA Disability Services Act 1993 ww.slp.wa.gov.au • Oral histories(by people in the disability field on their experiences with disability in Western Australia; housed at the Battye Library) • Lost Generations project - (short films capturing the essence of individuals with disabilities; available through the Commission’s Accommodation directorate) • Australian Bureau of Statistics www.abs.gov.au