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# disability

«disability» in Mova's school dictionary: **a condition that makes some things harder for a person to…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a disability, disabilities)

### meaning for a pupil

A disability is a condition that makes some things harder for a person to do, such as seeing, hearing, walking, learning or communicating. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

In lessons about respect and differences: people with disabilities do many things, sometimes in a different way, using things like wheelchairs, hearing aids, guide dogs, sign language or Braille. Disabilities may be visible or invisible (such as autism or dyslexia). Kindness means including everyone, asking before helping, talking to the person directly, not staring or teasing, and keeping ramps, lifts and disabled parking spaces free. The Paralympics celebrate athletes with disabilities. Phrases: «people with disabilities», «a learning disability», «disabled access», «invisible disability».

### examples

- Her brother has a disability and uses a wheelchair. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x1)
- Some disabilities, like dyslexia, cannot be seen. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x2)
- Our school has ramps for people with disabilities. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x3)
- Paralympians are athletes with disabilities. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x4)
- Don't park in the space for people with disabilities. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x5)
- Ask if someone with a disability wants help before you help them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x6)
- A guide dog helps people who are blind. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x7)
- Having a disability doesn't stop you from having fun with friends. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/#x8)

### note

Plural disabilities (y → ies). Adjective: disabled. It is polite to say «a person with a disability» or «a disabled person»; both are used. Avoid old words like «handicapped», and never use disabilities as insults. Some people prefer to be asked which words they like.

### In the corpora

- ["Special needs" means learning or physical disabilities that need extra help, especially at school.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/4-illness-disability-and-babies/8/)
- ["Learning difficulties" is the British official term for an intellectual disability.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/5-drink-mind-and-body/11/)
- ["Additional needs" (official UK term) means special educational needs or a disability.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/16-school-reports/22/)
- [Questions about people's bodies or disabilities should be asked politely in private, or to a parent later, because people deserve respect.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/101-responsibility-independence-curiosity/14/)
- [People with disabilities want respect, not pity, so treat them as anyone else and ask before helping.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/103-screens-fairness-and-differences/14/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «disability» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/disability/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.