The term "
disability " means a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities such as walking, thinking, seeing, speaking or hearing. The United States became one of the first nations in the world to ensure equality for its citizens with disabilities through the enactment of the American with Disabilities Act (
ADA ) in 1990. According to
White House.gov, approximately 19% of the US population has one or more disability. Either by birth defect, disease, or accident, there are 54 million people with a disability and 1.2 billion people worldwide. Disability is just one form of diversity and should not be viewed as a student's impairment that needs to be fixed. A person with a disability can be equally as successful if environments they navigate are accessible. Disability brings innovation!