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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity.” But so many elements of that definition are unclear – what is an impairment? What counts as “substantially limiting?” And what can be considered a “major life activity?”

So, what is an impairment? The ADA defines an impairment as a physiological disorder or condition affecting one or more body systems, or a mental or psychological disorder. Examples of disabilities include asthma, ADHD, bipolar, cerebral palsy, diabetes, dyslexia, IBS, migraine headaches, hearing impairment, vision impairment, intellectual disability, schizophrenia, PTSD, and so many more.

Let’s think about the terms “substantially limits” and “major life activity.” Having a disability doesn’t necessarily mean that you ������’t&�Բ�����;do something. It might mean that you can complete a task or major life activity (such as working, thinking, reading, breathing, or digesting), but that it is a lot harder or takes longer for you than it might for others, especially without the help of medications or assistive equipment.

You might be surprised to learn that disabled people represent the largest minority group in the world. In the United States, more than one in four people have a disability. However, not everyone with a disability considers themselves to be disabled. Why might that be?

One reason a person might not consider themselves to be disabled is the idea that there is a specific, narrow image of what disability should look like – and that a person’s disability should be visible. But many people have invisible disabilities, like learning disabilities or depression, or their disabilities fluctuate in severity, like lupus.

Another reason a person might resist thinking of themselves as disabled is ableism, which might show up as the internalized negative belief that being disabled means being wrong, bad, or broken. However, ableism appears in other ways too – social pressure to “suck it up,” “tough it out,” and push through can leave us feeling ashamed that we aren’t doing enough. Our current culture often thinks of disabled people as lazy, only values us when we’ve seemingly “overcome” our disability, and discourages us from taking up space.

Finally, many people with disabilities feel that they aren’t disabled enough. Not disabled “enough” to call themselves disabled, and certainly not disabled enough to ask for accommodations, ask for or receive help, to talk about their symptoms or condition, or to change certain aspects of their lives to meet their needs more comfortably. This might come from feeling unseen, downplaying one’s own experience, comparing oneself to others who are thought to “have it worse,” or feeling shame and guilt for having a disability and needing support.

With Disability Arts & Action Network, people with disabilities are welcome exactly as they are. Whether your disability is visible or invisible, constant or variable, you are enough. You are worthy of access, resources, space, support, and a community who understands. Here, you will be seen, validated, valued, and uplifted. With DAAN, you belong.

Disability culture celebrates the shared experiences, values, and history of disabled people. It’s not just about the challenges they face, but the strength, creativity, and ingenuity they’ve developed over time. Disability culture fights back against the harmful social beliefs and attitudes that view disability as bad, wrong, or broken. Instead, it creates a space where disability is embraced as a central part of identity. Through disability culture, disabled people can begin to accept and love themselves just as they are and find others who understand their experiences. Disability culture uses art, language, humor, wisdom, mutual support, and life hacks to build solidarity and community between all disabled people. It turns disability into a source of joy, pride, resistance, and shared understanding. 

Disability Justice is a concept developed by disabled women of color in 2005. It thinks about the way that disability overlaps with other kinds of unfair treatment like racism, sexism, and ableism. These problems combine to have a greater impact on disabled people who are also people of color, queer, women, poor, or are disadvantaged in other ways. This approach highlights the need to support and uplift disabled people of color, queer people of color, and other disabled people whose voices are often left out of bigger conversations about disability rights.  

An important part of disability culture is "crip reclamation." This refers to the reclaiming of the word “crip” as a symbol of pride, resistance, and empowerment. Originally used as a slur, "crip" has been repurposed by disabled communities since the 1980s to express solidarity and challenge ableist attitudes. Although some people still see the word as negative or connect it to violence, many disabled people now use it as a way to stand up for themselves and celebrate their identity.

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