Word family noun ability ≠ inability disability adjective able ≠ unable disabled verb enable ≠ disable adverb ably
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdisableddis‧a‧bled /dɪsˈeɪbəld/ ●●● S3 W3 adjective 1 MIDISABLEDsomeone who is disabled cannot use a part of their body properly, or cannot learn easily → handicapped a support group for parents of disabled children a severely disabled polio patientphysically/mentally disabled If you are elderly or physically disabled, massage can be beneficial. teachers who work with learning disabled children (=children who have problems learning)disabled parking/toilet/access etc (=for physically disabled people)2 → the disabledTHESAURUSdisabled not able to use a part of your body properly or not able to learn normally, because of a permanent problemDisabled people should have the same rights and choices as everyone else.Elaine is severely disabled and relies on 24 hour care.The charity provides opportunities and facilities for disabled people to take part in sport.special needs if someone has special needs, they have physical or mental disabilitiesa school for children with special needsA woman whose five-year-old son has special needs has accused her local education authority of failing to provide him with a decent education.learning difficulties/disabilities if someone has learning difficulties, they have difficulty learning basic skills or informationA child’s behavioural problems may be associated with learning difficulties.special courses for students with moderate learning difficultieshandicapped disabled – this word is old-fashioned and is now considered offensive. It is better to say that someone has learning difficulties or has special needs.wheelchair user someone who is in a wheelchair because they cannot walkThere is easy access for wheelchair users.paraplegic someone who is unable to move the lower part of their body, including their legsHe had a riding accident, which left him a paraplegic.quadriplegic someone who is permanently unable to move any part of their body below their neck Examples from the Corpus
disabled• We will encourage the young to become involved and will facilitate access for the disabled.• The governor has guaranteed health care for pregnant women, preschool children, and the disabled.• About 70 percent of those elderly persons living with younger people are severely disabled.• It's a challenge for the cast, some of whom are severely disabled.• Nowadays he teaches them the cowardly art of aggressive selling to the elderly and disabled.• There are many problems still to be overcome in providing for the disabled.• Her son is disabled and she has to take care of him all the time.• David goes to a special school for disabled children.• The reason is that the opportunities for disabled drivers to test specially-adapted vehicles are limited.• There was insufficient recognition that some of the voluntary organisations who helped with the plans do not adequately consult disabled people.• But no-one was in doubt that the real winner was disabled sport.disabled parking/toilet/access etc• They are equipped with 18 escalators and 10 lifts to provide full disabled access.• Entries include information on facilities such as disabled access and interpretation services.• Public disabled toilet facilities are available at a wide variety of places within York.• Money raised will go towards building a mountain hut, with disabled access, in the Lake District National Park.• And I will screech to a halt, when I finally get there, in a disabled parking slot.• In addition to a ramp for wheelchairs, more disabled parking spaces are being provided.• There are several disabled parking spaces in Haslemere; most of these are quite close to the main town centre. 5. 