Easy Read A–Z Examples of Disabilities

 

A – Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)
This is when the brain is hurt after birth.
It can change how a person thinks, moves, or remembers.
Symbol idea: brain icon

A – ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
A condition that makes it hard to focus, sit still, or control impulses.
Symbol idea: lightning bolt or bouncing ball

A – Alzheimer’s Disease
A sickness that affects memory and thinking.
Symbol idea: memory icon

A – Anxiety and Other Mental Health Conditions
Feeling very worried, sad, or scared often.
Symbol idea: cloud or worried face

A – Ankylosing Spondylitis
A type of arthritis that hurts joints, often in the spine.
Symbol idea: spine icon

A – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
A condition that can make talking, socialising, or understanding others tricky.
Symbol idea: puzzle piece

B – Blindness or Low Vision
Having little or no sight.
Symbol idea: eye with a line through it

B – Brain and Head Injury
Damage to the brain caused by accidents or falls.
Symbol idea: bandaged head icon

C – Cancer
A sickness where cells grow too much in the body.
Symbol idea: ribbon

C – Cerebral Palsy
A condition that can make moving or using muscles difficult.
Symbol idea: wheelchair or person walking with support

C – Chronic Pain
Pain that lasts a long time and can make daily life hard.
Symbol idea: pain icon or body outline

D – Deafness or Hearing Impairment
Difficulty hearing or not hearing at all.
Symbol idea: ear with a line through it

D – Diabetes
A sickness that changes how the body uses sugar.
Symbol idea: drop of blood icon

D – Dyslexia
A learning difference that makes reading and spelling hard.
Symbol idea: book or letters

D – Dystonia
Muscles move without control.
Symbol idea: shaking hand icon

E – Epilepsy
A condition that causes repeated seizures.
Symbol idea: lightning bolt over head

F – Fibromyalgia
Long-term body pain and tiredness.
Symbol idea: body outline with pain marks

F – Fragile X Syndrome
A genetic condition that affects learning and behaviour.
Symbol idea: DNA strand

H – Huntington’s Disease
A genetic sickness affecting movements and thinking.
Symbol idea: brain icon

I – Intellectual Disability
Difficulty learning or understanding things.
Symbol idea: brain icon or light bulb

L – Learning Disabilities
Differences in how a person learns.
Includes Dysgraphia (writing), Dyscalculia (maths), and others.
Symbol idea: book with pencil icon

M – Mobility Disabilities
Hard to move around without help.
Symbol idea: wheelchair or walking stick

M – Musculoskeletal Disorders
Affect bones, muscles, or joints.
Symbol idea: bone or joint icon

M – Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
A sickness that affects movement, balance, and nerves.
Symbol idea: neuron icon

P – Parkinson’s Disease
A sickness that makes muscles stiff or shaky.
Symbol idea: shaking hand icon

P – Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Feeling very upset or scared after a scary event.
Symbol idea: cloud or storm icon

P – Psychiatric Disabilities
Mental health conditions that affect daily life, e.g., severe depression or schizophrenia.
Symbol idea: brain with thought cloud

R – Rheumatoid Arthritis
A sickness that makes joints sore and swollen.
Symbol idea: joint icon

S – Spina Bifida
A birth condition affecting the spine.
Symbol idea: spine icon

S – Spinal Cord Injury
Damage to the spine causing problems with movement.
Symbol idea: wheelchair icon

S – Stroke
When blood can’t reach the brain, causing damage.
Symbol idea: brain with lightning bolt

T – Tourette Syndrome
A condition that causes tics (repeated movements or sounds).
Symbol idea: talking face or hand icon

T – Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Brain injury caused by an accident.
Symbol idea: bandaged head icon

V – Vision Impairment
Problems seeing clearly.
Symbol idea: eye icon

W – Williams Syndrome
A rare genetic condition affecting learning and growth.
Symbol idea: DNA strand