DISABILITY

disability. 1. The inability to perform some function; esp., the inability of one person to alter

a  given  relation  with  another  person.  2.  An  objectively  measurable  condition  of  impairment,

physical or mental <his disability entitled him to workers’-compensation benefits>. — Also termed

incapacity.  [Cases:  Civil  Rights    1019,  1218;  Workers’  Compensation    802.C.J.S.  Civil  Rights

§§ 2, 6–7, 9–10, 19, 21, 61.]

“The  Supreme  Court  has  cautioned  that  [the  Americans  with  Disabilities Act]  requires  that

disabilities be evaluated ‘with respect to an individual’ and must be determined based on whether

an  impairment  substantially  limits  the  ‘major  life  activities  of  such  individual.’  The  Court

conceded  that  ‘some  impairments  may  invariably  cause  a  substantial  limitation  of  a  major  life

activity,’ but ‘[t]he determination of whether an individual has a disability is not necessarily based

on  the  name  or  diagnosis  of  the  impairment  the  person  has,  but  rather  on  the  effect  of  that

impairment  on  the  life  of  the  individual.’  As  a  result,  courts  are  reluctant  to  characterize  any

particular  impairment  as  a  per  se  disability  under  ADA.  And  the  fact  that  an  impairment  is

considered to be a disability under a different set of criteria for some purpose other than the ADA

has  no  bearing  on  the  determination  of  whether  an  individual  is disabled  within  the  meaning  of

ADA.” Harold S. Lewis Jr. & Elizabeth J. Norman, Employment Discrimination Law and Practice

485–86 (2001).

developmental  disability.An  impairment  of  general  intellectual  functioning  or  adaptive

partial disability.A worker’s inability to perform all the duties that he or she could do before

an accident or illness, even though the worker can still engage in some gainful activity on the job.

[Cases: Workers’ Compensation    856–859. C.J.S. Workmen’s Compensation §§ 562–564, 566.]

permanent  disability.A  disability  that  will  indefinitely  prevent  a  worker  from  performing

some  or  all  of  the  duties that  he  or  she  could  do  before  an  accident  or  illness. [Cases: Workers’

Compensation    863–864. C.J.S. Workmen’s Compensation §§ 567–574.]

physical  disability.An  incapacity  caused  by  a  physical  defect  or  infirmity,  or  by  bodily

imperfection or mental weakness.

temporary  disability.A  disability  that  exists  until  an  injured  worker  is as  far  restored  as  the

nature  of  the  injury  will  permit.  [Cases:  Workers’  Compensation    863–864.  C.J.S.  Workmen’s

Compensation §§ 567–574.]

temporary total disability.Total disability that is not permanent.

total  disability.A  worker’s  inability  to  perform  employment-related  duties  because  of  a

physical  or  mental  impairment.  [Cases:  Workers’  Compensation    846–852.  C.J.S.  Workmen’s

Compensation §§ 556–561.]

3. Incapacity in the eyes of the law <most of a minor’s disabilities are removed when he or

she turns 18>. — Also termed incapacity.

canonical  disability.A  canonical  impediment  (usu.  impotence).  See  canonical  impediment

under IMPEDIMENT.

civil disability.The condition of a person who has had a legal right or privilege revoked as a

result  of  a  criminal  conviction,  as  when  a  person’s  driver’s  license  is  revoked  after  a  DWI

conviction. Cf. civil death (2) under DEATH. [Blacks Law 8th]