Categories of Disabilities - Coursework Example

A disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, sensitivity, or activities. There are different categories of disabilities which include sensory, physical, physiological, mental, and medical disabilities (Marianne, 2000). For more than ten years I have been deaf, in this case, classified as a sensory disability. Being deaf is lacking the power of hearing or having impaired hearing.  This kind of disability is characterized by difficulties in communicating, for instance, speech delays, difficulty in pronouncing words, and in, some cases. turning on televisions or radios at very high volumes. 

Since I discovered that I could no longer hear anymore, my life changed, and what I could do and how I did it changed drastically.  I lost some of my friends but what I miss most is doing things like anyone else.  Some of the challenges I went through due to my disability was to watch my friends get irritated when talking to me because they had to repeat the same words every time so that I can read their lips. The worst of all was the fact that I could only watch movies that were verbally described (Davis, 2013).  This was hard for me since it meant I could not join my friends to watch a new movie, I had to wait for it to be reviewed and verbal description included.                            

Living as a person with hearing impairment you have to be a keen observer so as to master what a person is trying to say to you (Lane, 2002). It is quite difficult to master someone’s words, especially if they speak fast. I also needed an instructor to help me understand what people are saying and how to respond to them using sign language.  This was not only a challenge to me but also to my parents who had to part with some extra cash to pay the instructor.

In conclusion, disability, regardless of the age of an individual it changes almost everything in his or her life. Everyone, including your own parent, will treat you differently and sometimes push you away to avoid embracement. Being different from others is very traumatizing, especially, among teenagers and young people.