One in five Americans has some form of disability, and 23% of Iowans live with some type of disability.
Resources
Vocational Rehabilitation Offices
Use the map below to find a Vocational Rehabilitation office near your. Click on an icon to get the address, phone and email.
What is a Disability?
Americans with Disability Act (ADA) defines an individual with a disability as:
- A person who has a physical or mental health impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. These major life activities may include:
- Seeing
- Hearing
- Walking
- Caring for Oneself
- Learning/Thinking
- Communicating
- A person who has a history or record of such impairment; or
- A person who is perceived by as having such an impairment
Disabilities are often thought of as only visible but many people also have disabilities that you can’t see. Disabilities that aren’t visible include things like multiple sclerosis, posttraumatic stress disorder, cancer, diabetes, depression, and many others.
Disability is not a static or linear concept. It can be:
- Mild, moderate or severe
- Permanent, long term, short term or episodic
| DISABILITY TYPE | FUNCTIONAL IMPACT | EXAMPLES OF DIAGNOSES |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and Mobility | Can affect a person’s motor skills and may require the use of a mobility aid. | • Cerebral Palsy • Epilepsy • Narcolepsy |
| Sensory | Can affect a person’s senses: vision, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. | • Deafness • Blindness • Chemical Sensitivities |
| Intellectual and Developmental | Can affect a person’s ability to learn and use information, creating limitations in reasoning, learning, and problem solving, as well as social and practical skill- building known as adaptive behaviours. | • Autism Spectrum Disorder • Down syndrome • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder |
| Learning | Can affect the way a person takes in, stores, or uses information. Learning disabilities can affect a person’s oral and written language, reading skills, mathematics skills, organization, or social skills. | • Dyslexia • Dysgraphia • Auditory Processing Disorder |
| Mental Health | Can affect a person’s mental alertness, concentration, organization, and anxiety levels. | • Anxiety Disorders • Depression • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder • Bi-polar Disorder • Schizophrenia |
Table Source: David C. Onley Initiative for Employment & Enterprise Development Employers Guide to Hiring and Working with Professionals
with Disabilities
Information on this page comes from “The Harkin Institute” at Drake University - https://harkininstitute.drake.edu/what-we-do/disabilities/