ABSTRACT
It is important to note that this chapter is not intended to stereotype disabled people. The basic premise is that human skills operate within a range of ability. At different ages we all exhibit levels of ability that range from totally dependent to independent, and then usually back towards dependence. Society has learnt to harness the ability of the majority of the population with buildings, housing leisure and work equipment, to strive towards the optimum from life. Until recently it has ignored the tools, mechanisms and attitudes to bring a large percentage of the population into the mainstream. This chapter will describe, both statistically and conceptually, those sectors of the population. The conceptual argument is the most important of the two, with the statistical argument reinforcing the momentum for change, based on equal human rights and untapped human potential.
