Disability implies the inability or difficulty of a person to perform an act, which can be done by a group of people of the same age, sex, society and culture. As per United Nations report, 10 percent of population in underdeveloped countries is facing disabilities of one or the other type. If we include family members, advocates and all those affected by the problem of disabilities this is as high as 25 percent of population. Moreover, this number is constantly increasing through population, growth, medical advances and aging process. Because of isolation and dependent conditions especially on activities of daily living, it becomes hard for the disabled person to create his or her own identity. The individual may lack confidence to carry out new tasks mainly because of lack of exposure and shortage of opportunities. Hence, he may settle down unhappily and accept that he cannot do things like others.

A person’s disability may be due to any type of disablement, i.e., birth defects, sickness, diseases, industrial and road accidents or the stresses of war, work and daily life. Prenatal causes of disability include genetic conditions like Down’s syndrome, pregnancy beyond 35yrs or less than 18yrs etc. Infections, malnutrition, trauma, pregnancy associated with medical conditions like Diabetes, Hypertension, TB and mal-presentation of foetus are the main causes of disability arising out of delivery. Malnutrition, poor parenting, poor childhood experiences, child abuse etc causes disability after birth.
Common man always confuses the terms disability, handicap and impairment. Hence it is important to explain these three concepts. Impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure of function. Disability is any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for human being. Handicap is a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or disability that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal, depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors, for that individual.
The various forms of rehabilitation include;
1. Medical rehabilitation: Treatment using medicine, surgery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
2. Educational Rehabilitation: Providing education facilities to disabled people.
3. Vocational Rehabilitation: Help the victim to learn and develop vocational skills so that he can earn income.
4. Social rehabilitation – Social integration has been defined as the active participation of disabled and handicapped people in the mainstream of community life.
Though there are different strategies to deal with the people suffering from disability, the most important pillar is family support and care. Disability management needs long-term rehabilitation depending on the severity of the problem. Since, disability varies markedly from person to person in symptoms; treatment as well as rehabilitation needs to vary accordingly.