According to many definitions, a disability or functional impairment is an impairment that may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or some combination of these. Other definitions describe disability as the societal disadvantage arising from such impairments. Disability substantially affects a person's life activities and may be present from birth or occur during a person's lifetime.

WHO defined disabilities as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity restrictions, and limitations. Thus disability is not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives. Overcoming the difficulties faced by people with disabilities requires interventions to remove environmental and social barriers. Disability could affect all age groups starting from childhood to the elderly. WHO estimates that more than one billion people (mostly older people and people with disabilities) is expected to increase to beyond two billion by 2050.

People with disabilities have greater health needs than the general population; however they also experience greater inequality in accessing healthcare. Nurses have a primary role in supporting these patients to access adequate healthcare and experience optimal health. Moreover, Nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing recognize that disability can take a variety of forms and affect the physical, mental, sensory, psychological and social ability of the person. Persons with a disability have the right to complete integration and inclusion within the community, family, school and workplace and assistance should be provided for this to take place.

Aims and Scope: