It considers and makes recommendations about how disability should be defined in the new legislation. Defining those for whom services should be provided Defining disability is the first step in planning 5.2 Before any serious attempt at equitable planning can be made, the Commonwealth must have an idea of the level of need in the community. The need of people with a disability for Commonwealth services can only be assessed effectively when it is clear whose needs are being examined. If the new legislation is to provide a framework for needs-based planning, it must first address the question of what is meant by disability. There is little consistency in approach between international organisations and the Commonwealth and the States and Territories in defining disability.
Some definitions use the terms disability, impairment and handicap interchangeably.
Some approaches are broad and inclusive while others are narrower and restricted to particular types of disabilities. The issue of defining disability is being widely discussed at present. 1 Various approaches 5.4 Broad approach - the World Health Organisation. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare relies in its statistical analysis on the definitional framework provided by the World Health Organisation. Impairment is defined as any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function.