Disability

The term ‘disability’ also takes the social dimension into account. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines the term ‘disability’ as follows:

“People with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full, effective and equal participation in society” (Art. 1 UN CRPD (PDF), as of November 2018). 

Disability is not something that ‘lies’ solely with the person concerned. It arises only through the interaction of individual impairments and external barriers in the environment and society. It is often not the visual impairment itself that affects the person’s life, but the barriers in their environment, such as illegible text, road signs, etc. It is these barriers that turn an individual impairment into a disability (Sozialhelden e.V./Leidmedien.de, last accessed in July 2025).