Is HIV a Disability?
To begin with, what is a disability? 1. A physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses, or activities.
2. A disadvantage or handicap, esp. one imposed or recognized by the law.
If we accept the definition above, then disability is an umbrella term. It covers impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions: impairments are problems in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus a disability is thus not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives. An estimated 10% of the world’s population has a disability. So, is HIV a disability? There are people living with HIV who would say absolutely not. There are people living with HIV that would say yes, HIV is a disability. The answer is it depends.
