What Are the Top 10 Disabilities?

Living with a disability can impact your daily life, work, and overall well-being. In Delray Beach, many people live with disabilities that affect their ability to work or do everyday tasks. Whether caused by a car accident, illness, or chronic condition, disabilities come in many forms.

Take a closer look at 10 of the most common disabilities and what challenges those living with them can face.

1. Musculoskeletal Disorders

Any condition that affects the muscles, bones, and joints can be considered a musculoskeletal disorder. Arthritis, back pain, and carpal tunnel fall into this category. They can limit mobility and make it tough to go about your day. A lot of people who experience these issues deal with chronic pain and have a hard time getting around.

2. Mental Health Disorders

Mental health disabilities are on the rise. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are a few of the most common ones. Each can severely affect your ability to function at work and maintain relationships, but unlike physical disabilities, they’re often invisible. Because of this, it can be hard for people who don’t deal with them to understand their impact.

3. Respiratory Illnesses

Chronic respiratory problems like COPD and asthma can seriously limit a person’s ability to breathe and move about freely. Even simple tasks can quickly become exhausting. In more serious cases, people might need oxygen therapy or other medical treatments.

4. Heart Conditions

Heart disease, high blood pressure, and any issue that affects the heart can leave a person feeling tired. They can also trigger chest pain and severe shortness of breath. Heart attacks and strokes often leave people with long-term complications that make it impossible to work.

5. Diabetic Complications

Diabetes itself isn’t always considered a disability, but the complications can be debilitating. Neuropathy, vision loss, and kidney issues are common among those with long-term diabetes. Some people face amputations and mobility challenges, and managing the condition typically requires constant monitoring and medications, which can disrupt personal and work routines.

6. Impaired Vision

Blindness — as well as partial vision loss — can affect a person’s ability to navigate the world safely. When a person can’t see well, they may have a hard time reading, driving, and sometimes even recognizing faces. Assistive technologies can help, but they don’t always restore independence.

7. Hearing Loss

Even partial hearing impairment can make communicating difficult. People are often left frustrated, and not being able to hear can be dangerous in environments where workers need to listen for alarms and verbal instructions.

8. Neurological Disorders

Multiple sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) fall in this category. Neurological disorders can lead to seizures, problems with coordination, and other cognitive impairments. People can also struggle with memory, motor skills, and concentration.

9. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Down syndrome, autism, and other cognitive impairments affect a person’s ability to learn, solve problems, and interact with other people. Support usually involves education accommodations and various forms of therapy, but barriers still exist when it comes to employment and independent living.

10. Chronic Pain

It’s easy to underestimate the impact of having to constantly deal with some type of pain. Conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome can sap a person’s energy and make it difficult to move around. They’re not always visible or easy to diagnose, and that can lead to a lot of skepticism from those who don’t have these disabilities.

Why Understanding Disabilities Matters In Florida

In Delray Beach, understanding the most common disabilities is important when filing claims related to Social Security Disability Insurance, workers’ compensation, or reasonable job accommodations. 

If the time ever comes that your claim is denied and you need legal help, finding a law firm that knows how to effectively advocate for their clients and ensure their rights are fully protected is key. 

Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm In Delray Beach, FL

If you’ve been injured in Delray Beach, and need legal help, contact our Delray Beach car accident lawyers at The Injury Law Firm, PA to schedule a free consultation.

The Injury Law Firm, PA.
301 W. Atlantic Ave, Suite O-1
Delray Beach, FL 33444

(561) 800-4357