Types of disabilities prevalent in Zimbabwe
There are different types of disabilities in children that has been identified, these are developmental disabilities (including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, epilepsy and autism), hearing impairments, learning disabilities, mobility impairments, and visual impairments. It is also worth noting that children with hearing, visual and intellectual impairments are significant more likely never to attend school compared to children with physical impairments in the Zimbabwe context (SIDA, 2014).
This shows the importance of knowing different types of disabilities, as these assist in understanding the situation these children find themselves in. different types means different problems and challenges as indicated with the school enrolment in the country by CwDs.
Developmental disabilities
The term “developmental disability” is used to describe those conditions that affect, or appear to affect, the mental and/or physical development of individuals. Disabilities included in this category are mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, and, in some cases, head traumas. In order to be considered a developmental disability, an individual’s condition must manifest before the age of 18, continue indefinitely, and represent a significant limitation for the individual.
Hearing impairments
Hearing impairments vary greatly from mild hearing loss to profound deafness. The term “hard-of-hearing” describes those who have mild to moderate hearing loss. Mild hearing loss includes those who are able to hear everything except very high-pitched sounds. Moderate hearing loss describes people unable to hear a conversation without amplification. “Deaf” includes people with severe to profound hearing loss, who are unable to hear anything but the loudest sounds, such as a generator.
Learning disabilities
A Learning Disability, as defined as a “neurological disorder that interferes with a person’s ability to store, process, or produce information, and creates a “gap” between one’s ability and performance”. Learning disabilities can affect one’s ability to read, write, speak, or compute math, and can impede social skills. Learning disabilities can affect one or more areas of development.
Mobility impairments
The term “mobility impairments” is used to describe numerous disabling conditions which affect movement and ambulation. Conditions range from chronic pain to quadriplegia. Mobility impairments may be caused by accidents or other traumatic events; or chronic events, such as disease or a condition that proceeds slowly from birth. A mobility impairment may occur before, during, or after birth.
Visual impairments
The term “visual impairment” is used to describe many degrees of vision loss, including low vision, legally blind, and totally blind. The definitions of what constitutes “low vision” vary, but generally low vision is defined as an uncorrectable visual impairment that interferes with a person’s ability to perform everyday activities, or as having 2070 acuity in the best eye, with correction. The term “legally blind” encompasses individuals whose central visual acuity does not exceed 20/200 in the better eye with corrective lenses or whose visual field is less than an angle of 20 degrees. The individual with 20/200 sees at 20 feet what a normal sighted person sees at 200 feet. “Total blindness” is the complete absence of vision and light perception.
