Educational only, not medical advice. These summaries are not a diagnosis or treatment guide. Resources focus on United States organizations and agencies. Every person's experience is different. Directory listings do not imply partnerships or endorsements.
Blindness and low vision
Sensory
Vision loss ranges from low vision, where some usable sight remains, to total blindness. People use many tools and techniques to read, travel, and work.
Fast facts
Low vision means sight loss that glasses or contacts cannot fully correct.
Many blind people read with screen readers, magnification, or braille.
Etiquette and access tips
Say your name when you start talking and let the person know when you leave.
Offer your arm if they want guidance rather than steering them.
Hearing loss can be mild to profound and may be present from birth or happen later. Some people use hearing aids or cochlear implants. Many Deaf people use American Sign Language and are part of Deaf culture.
Fast facts
ASL is a complete language with its own grammar, separate from English.
People choose their own terms, such as Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing.
Etiquette and access tips
Get the person's attention before speaking and face them in good light.
Ask how they prefer to communicate: sign, speech, text, or writing.
DeafBlind people have a combination of hearing and vision loss. The amount of each varies widely, so communication methods vary too, including tactile sign, large print, and braille.
Fast facts
Many DeafBlind people have some usable hearing or vision.
Protactile is a language and practice developed by DeafBlind people that uses touch.
Etiquette and access tips
Ask how the person would like you to let them know you are there.
Identify yourself each time you meet.
Follow their lead on touch, pace, and interpreting.
A spinal cord injury affects signals between the brain and body below the injury. Effects depend on where the injury is and whether it is complete or incomplete.
Fast facts
It can affect movement, sensation, and body functions such as breathing or bladder control.
Many people use wheelchairs; some walk with or without aids.
Etiquette and access tips
Treat a wheelchair as part of the person's personal space.
Ask before helping with doors, transfers, or reaching.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of conditions that affect movement, muscle tone, and posture. It comes from differences in the developing brain and does not get worse over time, though its effects can change.
Fast facts
CP looks different from person to person.
Speech may be affected for some people. Intelligence is not determined by CP.
Etiquette and access tips
Give people time to finish speaking. Do not finish their sentences.
If you did not understand, say so and ask them to repeat.
Spina bifida happens when the spine and spinal cord do not form fully before birth. Effects range from none to paralysis and can include bladder and bowel differences.
Fast facts
It is present from birth.
Some people walk, some use braces or crutches, and some use wheelchairs.
Etiquette and access tips
Ask about step-free access and nearby accessible restrooms when planning.
Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic conditions that cause muscle weakness that usually increases over time. Type, age of onset, and progression vary.
Fast facts
There are many types, including Duchenne and myotonic dystrophy.
Some types also affect the heart or breathing muscles.
Etiquette and access tips
Plan for rest and seating.
Ask before helping, and let the person set the pace.
ALS is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells controlling voluntary muscles. Over time it can affect movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing.
Fast facts
It is also called Lou Gehrig's disease.
Many people use communication devices, including eye-gaze systems, as speech changes.
Etiquette and access tips
Give extra time for answers given through a device.
Speak to the person directly, not their care partner.
Limb loss can come from injury, illness, or surgery. Limb difference can also be present from birth. People may use prosthetics, wheelchairs, other tools, or none.
Fast facts
Prosthetic use is a personal choice, and some people switch depending on the day.
Comfort can change with heat, fit, or fatigue.
Etiquette and access tips
Do not ask what happened as an opening question.
Offer a seat or a hand without assuming it is needed.
Autism is a developmental disability that affects how people communicate, interact, and experience the world. Autistic people differ widely in strengths and support needs.
Fast facts
Sensory differences such as sensitivity to sound or light are common.
Many autistic adults prefer identity-first language, but not everyone does.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects attention, activity level, and impulse control. It starts in childhood and often continues into adulthood.
Fast facts
It can look like inattention, hyperactivity, or a mix of both.
Adults may notice effects on time management and organization.
Etiquette and access tips
Share instructions in writing as well as out loud.
Down syndrome happens when a person has an extra copy of chromosome 21. It is linked with some intellectual disability and certain health conditions, and people's abilities vary.
Fast facts
It is present from birth.
Many people with Down syndrome work, live in the community, and speak up for themselves.
Etiquette and access tips
Talk to the person at their age, not in a childlike voice.
Intellectual disability involves differences in learning and reasoning along with everyday living skills, starting before adulthood. People learn and grow throughout life.
Fast facts
Support needs range from occasional to ongoing.
Self-advocacy groups are led by people with intellectual disabilities.
Etiquette and access tips
Use short sentences and plain words.
Ask, do not assume, what the person understands or wants.
Learning disabilities affect specific skills such as reading, writing, or math. Dyslexia, which affects reading, is one of the best known. They are not related to overall intelligence.
Fast facts
Dyscalculia affects math and dysgraphia affects writing.
Assistive tools like text-to-speech help many people.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms vary and can include fatigue, vision changes, numbness, and mobility changes, which may come and go.
Fast facts
Many people have relapses followed by periods of recovery.
Fatigue is a common symptom that is easy to overlook.
Etiquette and access tips
Keep rooms cool where you can, as heat can worsen symptoms for some.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is damage to the brain from an outside force like a fall or crash. It can affect memory, attention, mood, senses, and movement.
Fast facts
Effects can be invisible to others.
Recovery and long-term effects vary a lot between people.
Parkinson's disease is a progressive brain condition that affects movement and can affect speech, mood, and sleep. Symptoms often change through the day.
Fast facts
Tremor is common but not universal.
A softer voice or slower movement is not a sign of confusion.
Etiquette and access tips
Allow extra time for walking, speaking, and writing.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome is a serious, long-term illness. A key feature is post-exertional malaise: symptoms get worse after physical or mental effort.
Arthritis covers many conditions that cause joint pain and stiffness, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It affects people of all ages.
Fast facts
Symptoms can flare and settle.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition.
Etiquette and access tips
Offer seating and avoid long standing events.
Easy-grip tools and lever handles help many people.
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They cause inflammation in the digestive tract, often with flares and quieter periods.
Fast facts
Symptoms are usually not visible to others.
Urgent restroom access can be a real need.
Etiquette and access tips
Share restroom locations ahead of time.
Be flexible about plans that change on short notice.
Depression is a mood disorder that affects how a person feels, thinks, and handles daily life, for longer than ordinary sadness. It is common and treatable.
Fast facts
It can affect sleep, energy, appetite, and concentration.
Anxiety disorders involve worry or fear that does not go away and gets in the way of daily life. They include generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and social anxiety.
Fast facts
Physical symptoms like a racing heart are common.
Effects can vary from day to day.
Etiquette and access tips
Share agendas and what to expect in advance.
Offer options like written questions or a quieter seat.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after a frightening or dangerous event. It can involve memories that intrude, avoidance, and feeling on edge.
Fast facts
Not everyone who goes through trauma develops PTSD.
Symptoms can start soon after an event or much later.
Etiquette and access tips
Do not ask for details of someone's trauma.
Give notice before loud noises or surprises when you can.