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 INTERESTING FACTS ON DISABILITIES
At Abacus Recruitment we are all involved and excited about placing candidates with disabilities. All of our IT recruitment consultants were involved to define a few disabilities and share interesting facts about a few diagnoses.
The following are interesting facts found by our personnel on various websites.
For more information regarding Physical Disabilities, visit the following supportive website: National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa http://www.ncppdsa.org.za 1. Albinism Definition: The word “albinism” refers to a group of inherited conditions. People with albinism have little or no pigment in their eyes, skin, or hair. They have inherited altered genes that do not make the usual amounts of a pigment called melanin. Albinism affects people from all races. Interesting Fact: People with albinism always have problems with vision (not correctable with eyeglasses) and many have low vision. While most people with albinism have very light skin and hair, not all do. Oculocutaneous (pronounced ock-you-low-kew-TAIN-ee-us) albinism (OCA) involves the eyes, hair and skin. Ocular albinism (OA), which is much less common, involves primarily the eyes, while skin and hair may appear similar or slightly lighter than that of other family members. For more information regarding Albinism, visit the following supportive website: SA National Council for the Blind South African Blind Youth Organisation (SABYO) http://www.sancb.org.za 2. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Definition: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of genetic eye conditions. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. Many people with RP do not become legally blind until their 40s or 50s and retain some sight all their life. Others go completely blind from RP, in some cases as early as childhood. Progression of RP is different in each case. RP is a type of hereditary retinal dystrophy, a group of inherited disorders in which abnormalities of the photoreceptors (rods and cones) or the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) of the retina lead to progressive visual loss. Affected individuals first experience defective dark adaptation or nyctalopia (night blindness), followed by reduction of the peripheral visual field (known as tunnel vision) and, sometimes, loss of central vision late in the course of the disease. Interesting Fact: There is currently no medical treatment that can completely cure retinitis pigmentosa, although the progression of the disease can be reduced by the daily intake of 15000 IU of vitamin A palmitate. Recent studies have shown that proper vitamin A supplementation can postpone blindness by up to 10 years. For more information regarding Retinitis Pigmentosa, visit the following supportive website: SA National Council for the Blind South African Blind Youth Organisation (SABYO) http://www.sancb.org.za 3. Blindness Definition: Not being able to see. Interesting Fact: Visually impaired individuals competed for the 1st time at the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto. For more information regarding Blindness, visit the following supportive website: SA National Council for the Blind South African Blind Youth Organisation (SABYO) http://www.sancb.org.za 4. Cerebral Palsy Definition: A disorder caused by a prenatal brain defect or brain injury during birth. It’s a life-long condition that affects muscle control/ the communication between the brain and the muscles. Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive non-contagious conditions that cause physical disability in human development. CP is the result of an episode that causes a lack of oxygen to the brain. It can prevent or inhibit walking and cause a lack of muscle coordination, spasms, and speech difficulty. Cerebral palsy can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabilities. Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain (although the disorder most likely involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum), and palsy refers to disorder of movement. CP is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the young developing brain and can occur during pregnancy (about 75 percent), during childbirth (about 5 percent) or after birth (about 15 percent) up to about age three. It is a non-progressive disorder, meaning the brain damage does not worsen, but secondary orthopedic difficulties are common. There is no known cure for CP. Medical intervention is limited to the treatment and prevention of complications arising from CP's effects. Interesting Fact: The causes of CP are unknown and there is no way one can prevent this once diagnosed but precautions can be taken. For example: Before becoming pregnant, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and make sure that any medical problems are managed properly. As soon as you know you’re pregnant, proper prenatal medical care is vital. Controlling diabetes, anemia, hypertension, and nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy can help prevent some premature births and, as a result, some cases of cerebral palsy. Never shake an infant, as this can lead to shaken baby syndrome and brain damage. If you’re riding in a car, make sure your baby is properly strapped into an infant car seat that’s correctly installed — if an accident. For more information regarding Cerebral Palsy, visit the following supportive website: Children's Hemiplegia & Stroke Association (CHASA) http://www.chasa.org United Cerebral Palsy Association of South Africa http://www.myggsa.co.za/connect/receivers/united_cerebral_palsy_association_of_south_africa Cerebral Palsy SA http://www.ambibambi.co.za/Institutions.html 5. Polio Definition: Polio is a disease that causes paralysis in the body. It is an infectious disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause temporary or permanent paralysis. Interesting Fact: It affects not just the young but the aged as well. Man (human) is the only natural host for the polio virus. For more information regarding Polio, visit the following supportive website: Association for the Physically Disabled Greater Johannesburg (APD) http://www.apd.org.za Association for Persons with Disabilities - Free State http://www.apdfreestate.co.za Western Cape Association for Persons with Disabilities http://www.apd-wc.org.za 6. Amputation Definition: Amputation is when you are in an accident or sustain a serious injury to a limb, which cannot be fixed or does not heal and then they have to remove the limb. Interesting Fact: Say your leg was amputated; there will be times when the foot/toes will still itch. This is because the nervous are still there and they are still linked to your brain. For more information regarding Amputation, visit the following supportive website: Association for the Physically Disabled Greater Johannesburg (APD) http://www.apd.org.za Association for Persons with Disabilities - Free State http://www.apdfreestate.co.za Western Cape Association for Persons with Disabilities http://www.apd-wc.org.za 7. Idiopathic Scoliosis Definition: Idiopathic scoliosis is lateral curvature of the spine. Interesting Fact: Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis and is present in 2% to 4% of children aged 10 to 16 yearrs. Boys and girls are equally affected; however, it is 10 times more likely to progress and require treatment in girls. For more information regarding Idiopathic Scoliosis, visit the following supportive website: Association for the Physically Disabled Greater Johannesburg (APD) http://www.apd.org.za Association for Persons with Disabilities - Free State http://www.apdfreestate.co.za Western Cape Association for Persons with Disabilities http://www.apd-wc.org.za 8. Multiple Sclerosis Definition: Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS, also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system (CNS), leading to demyelination. It may cause numerous physical and mental symptoms, and often progresses to physical and cognitive disability. Disease onset usually occurs in young adults, is more common in women, and has a prevalence that ranges between 2 and 150 per 100,000 depending on the country or specific population. MS was first described in 1868 by Jean-Martin Charcot. Interesting Fact: Risk (incidence) for Multiple Sclerosis increases with greater distance from the equator. For more information regarding Multiple Sclerosis, visit the following supportive website: Multiple Sclerosis South Africa – Support Group http://www.multiplesclerosis.co.za/links.htm 9. Epilepsy (Severe) Definition: A disorder of the nervous system, characterised either by mild, episodic loss of attention or sleepiness or by severe convulsions with loss of consciousness. Part of a group of disorders marked by disturbed electrical activity in the brain — it affects millions of people of all ages and according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Abnormal brain development, brain damage from illness or injury, and genetic mutations all can cause epilepsy. Interesting Fact: High fat/low carbohydrate diet dramatically cuts severe epilepsy: A typical meal might involve roughly equal proportions of chicken, carrots, double cream and butter. Scientists think that epilepsy and schizophrenia may share similar genetic or environmental factors. For more information regarding Epilepsy, visit the following supportive website: Epilepsy South Africa http://www.epilepsy.org.za 10. Stroke Definition: Stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to parts of the brain is disrupted, causing brain cells to die. When blood flow to the brain is impaired, oxygen and glucose cannot be delivered to the brain. Blood flow can be compromised by a variety of mechanisms. Interesting Fact: Stroke is caused by the blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain. Sudden tingling, weakness, or paralysis on one side of the body or difficulty with balance, speaking, swallowing, or vision can be a symptom of a stroke. Any person suspected of having a stroke or TIA should present for emergency care immediately. Clot-busting drugs like TPA can be used to reverse a stroke, but the time frame for their use is very narrow. Patients need to present for care as soon as possible so that TPA therapy can be considered. Stroke prevention involves minimizing risk factors, such as controlling high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, tobacco abuse, and diabetes. Most common risk factors for strokes are: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking diabetes and increasing age. For more information regarding a Stoke, visit the following supportive website: Children's Hemiplegia & Stroke Association (CHASA) http://www.chasa.org |