Concepts and Definitions of Disability

The definition of “persons with disabilities” and how society perceives such persons is both relative and complex. In some countries, persons with some degree of disability are regarded as disabled, while in others they are not disabled. As noted above, differences in disability definitions, data collection methods and the lack of a common classification system yield incomplete or inconsistent data, thereby complicating comparisons across countries or regions in terms of disability-specific interventions and services. The following section presents an overview of the evolving concepts of disability and some of the definitions used in the ESCWA region.