ABSTRACT
This chapter explores explore several ways in which the broad class "disability" has been subdivided. The way that a person's disability is defined helps both the individual and others in his or her world to understand and relate to the disability. The Washington Group on Disability Statistics was formed following a United Nations Seminar held in June 2001, which recognized the importance of developing a method for assessing disability that could be used on a global level. There have been major shifts in the manner in which disability groupings are determined, and in the data selected for study. The World Health Organization recognized the need to develop an international system for the classification of disabilities. If the client has had contact with a service or resource which uses categories to define disability, he or she may have experienced challenging, validating, or other emotions in the process of the interaction which are important for us to recognize and understand.
