51Թ

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View synonyms for

disabled

[ dis-ey-buhld ]

adjective

  1. physically or mentally impaired, injured, or incapacitated.
  2. not working or operating properly, or at all; incapable or made incapable of functioning: They called the Coast Guard to tow the disabled boat to shore.

    This feature is normally disabled on company computers.

    They called the Coast Guard to tow the disabled boat to shore.



noun

(used with a plural verb)
  1. Usually the disabled. physically or mentally impaired people:

    Ramps have been installed at the entrances to accommodate the disabled.

disabled

/ ɪˈɪə /

adjective

    1. lacking one or more physical powers, such as the ability to walk or to coordinate one's movements, as from the effects of a disease or accident, or through mental impairment
    2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the disabled

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

Nowadays it is better to refer to people with physical disabilities of various kinds by describing the specific difficulty in question rather than talking about the disabled as a group, which is considered somewhat offensive. Some people also object to the word disabled to refer to facilities for people with disabilites, and prefer the word accessible
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Sensitive Note

Disabled is a comprehensive umbrella term to describe people or communities of people who live with functional limitations in carrying out major life activities, such as walking, lifting, seeing, or learning. When should disabled be used to describe someone? First, in many cases, there is no need to mention disability; it is often not relevant to the information being conveyed. In most cases, when disabilities are mentioned, it is preferable to name the person’s specific physical or mental condition, like diabetes or traumatic brain injury. However, when addressing an issue that affects the larger community of people living with such functional limitations in daily activities, for example, when discussing accessibility in the workplace, disabled and disability are the appropriate terms. Some people prefer person-first constructions like “a person with a disability” to emphasize the whole person, not defined exclusively by living with a disability. Others use identity-first language like “a disabled person” to center the disability as an important aspect of identity and push back on the presupposition that disability is inherently negative, unmentionable, or something to be politely ignored. Following similar logic, the euphemisms “special,” “challenged,” “differently abled,” and “handicapable” are not recommended. The straightforward, simple, and descriptive term disabled is preferred.
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ԴDz·徱·· noun adjective
  • ··徱·· adjective
  • ܲ·徱·· adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of disabled1

First recorded in 1625–35; disable + -ed 2
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The two had been talking about the childhood cement-truck accident that dramatically disabled the actor when he was 11.

From

"The safeguards are there," she says, when we press her about disabled people who feel threatened by assisted dying, or whether Maid is being used as a shortcut to better quality care.

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Chad Comey, 31, who lost the family condominium where he lived and cared for his disabled parents, wants answers from Park and others.

From

A court-appointed monitor of L.A County’s planning for the disabled agreed.

From

The work of this charity is increasingly in demand, as services within the NHS are harder to find for parents with disabled children.

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