Individuals with similar impairments may not be equally disabled. For example, a history professor may not be greatly disabled by the loss of a finger. However, the same impairment would be a terrible disability to a concert pianist. People who have disabilities are sometimes referred to as handicapped. There are about 35 million disabled people in the United States.
Many common disabilities result from diseases.
Heart disease may permanently decrease the victim's strength and endurance. Strokes may produce paralysis and loss of speech. Arthritis and many bone diseases can lead to deformity. Certain nerve diseases may result in blindness, deafness, and lack of coordination. Cerebral palsy is a disorder that damages the brain before, during, or after birth.