There are several types of disabilities including physical, sensory, intellectual, and developmental. Physical disabilities limit motor abilities or daily living functions. Sensory disabilities relate to sight and hearing like visual or hearing impairments. Intellectual disabilities range from mental retardation to specific learning disabilities. Developmental disabilities result in problems with growth and development. The sociology of disability discusses terms like handicap and how disabilities are often acquired rather than congenital.

2. Disability A disability (or lack of a given ability, as the "dis" qualifier denotes) in humans may be physical, cognitive/mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.