Blindness

Blindness is the condition of poor visual perception. Various scales have been
developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness.[1] Total blindness is
the complete lack of form and visual light perception and is clinically recorded as NLP,
an abbreviation for "no light perception."[1] Blindness is frequently used to describe
severe visual impairment with some remaining vision. Those described as having only
light perception have no more sight than the ability to tell light from dark and the general
direction of a light source. The World Health Organization defines low vision as visual
acuity of less than 20/60 (6/18), but equal to or better than 20/200 (6/60), or visual field
loss to less than 20 degrees, in the better eye with best possible correction. Blindness is
defined as visual acuity of less than 20/400 (6/120), or a visual field loss to less than 10
degrees, in the better eye with best possible correction. As of 2012 there were 285
million visually impaired people in the world, of which 246 million had low vision and 39
million were blind.[3] The majority of people with poor vision are in the developing
world and are over the age of 50 years

Signs and symptoms

Blindness is defined by the World Health Organization as vision in a person's best eye
of less than 20/500 or a visual field of less than 10 degrees.[4] This definition was set in
1972, and there is ongoing discussion as to whether it should be altered somewhat. [5]
Blind people with undamaged eyes may still register light non-visually for the purpose
of circadian entrainment to the 24-hour light/dark cycle. Light signals for this purpose
travel through the retinohypothalamic tract and are not affected by optic nerve damage
beyond where the retinohypothalamic tract exits.

Hearing loss

Hearing loss, hearing impairment, or deafness, is a partial or total inability to hear.[1] In

children it may affect the development of language and can cause work related difficulties for
adults.[2]
It is caused by many factors, including: genetics, aging, exposure to noise, illness, chemicals and
physical trauma. Hearing testing may be used to determine the severity of the hearing loss. While
the results are expressed indecibels, hearing loss is usually described as mild, mild-moderate,
moderate, moderately severe, severe, or profound. Hearing loss is usually acquired by a person who
at some point in life had no hearing impairment.
There are a number of measures that can prevent hearing loss and include avoidance of loud noise,
chemical agents, and physical trauma. Testing for poor hearing is recommended for all
newborns.[2] But, in some cases such as due to disease, illness, or genetics, it is impossible to
reverse or prevent. Hearing aids are partially effective for many.
Globally hearing loss affects about 10% of the population to some degree.[3] It caused moderate to
severe disability in 124 million people as of 2004 (108 million of whom are in low and middle income
countries).[4] Of these 65 million developed the condition during childhood.[5] It is one of the most
common medical conditions presenting to physicians.[6] It is viewed by some in the deaf community
as a condition, not an illness. Treatments such as cochlear implants have caused controversy in the
deaf community.

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral

palsy (CP)

is

general

term

for

progressive movement disorders that cause physical disability,

group
[1]

of

permanent,

non-

mainly in the areas of body

[2]

movement. There may also be problems with sensation, depth perception, and communication
ability. Difficulty with cognition and epilepsy are found in about one-third of cases. There are
subtypes including a type characterized by spasticity, a type characterized by poor coordination, and
types which feature both symptoms or neither.
Cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can
occur during pregnancy, during childbirth, or after birth up to about age three.[3][4] About 2% of all
cerebral palsy cases are believed to be due to a genetic cause.[5] Cerebral palsy is not an infectious
disease and is not contagious. Most cases are diagnosed at a young age rather than during
adolescence or adulthood.
Improvements in the care of newborns has helped reduce the number of babies who develop
cerebral palsy and increased the survival of those with very low birth weights.[6][7] There is no cure,
with efforts attempting to treat and prevent complications. It occurs in about 2.1 per 1,000 live births.
Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain. The disorder may often
involve connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum. The
root word "palsy" means "paralysis". In medicine, this is often used in reference to the paralysis or
weakness that often accompanies nerve damage, loss of sensation or muscle disorders involving
uncontrollable movements such as trembling or shaking.

Cripple

A cripple is a person or animal with a physical disability, particularly one who is unable to
walk because of an injury or illness. The word was recorded as early as 950 AD, and derives from
the Proto-Germanic krupilaz. The German and Dutchwords Krppel and kreupel are cognates.
By the 1970s, the word generally came to be regarded as pejorative when used for people with
disabilities. Crippleis also a transitive verb, meaning "cause a disability or inability".

Cripples movement
In the same way that the term "queer" and the Nazi pink triangle has been reappropriated by the gay
rights movement, members of the disability rights movement have reclaimed words such as "cripple"
and "gimp" to refer to themselves.[5][6]The cripple tribunal in Dortmund on 13 December 1981 was
one of the main protest actions of the autonomous German disability movement (in confrontation
with

the

established

disability

assistance)

against

human

rights

abuses

in nursing

homes and psychiatric hospitals, as well as against deficiencies of local public transport. Analogous
to the Russell Tribunalby Amnesty International, the cripple tribunal has denounced human rights
violations of disabled people.

Muteness

Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder.

Causes
Those who are physically mute may have problems with the parts of the human body required for
human speech (the throat,vocal cords, lungs, mouth, or tongue, etc.). Being mute is often associated
with deafness as people who have been unable to hear from birth may not be able to articulate
words correctly (see deaf-mute), but muteness describes people who can hear but cannot talk.
Other causes include intellectual disability and autism. A person can be born mute, or become mute
later in life due to injury or disease. The prevalence of mutism from all causes is on the order of 8
persons per 10000.
Trauma or injury to the Broca's area of the brain can cause muteness.