Mobility and body function disabilities
Mobility and body function disabilities affect how a person moves, controls their body and how their body works. These disabilities can make it hard to use places and tools made for people with usual physical abilities.
Manual dexterity and fine motor control
Problems with hand and finger skills make it hard to do the precise movements needed to use a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen or small buttons.
Example
A person with Parkinson’s disease may have trouble clicking small buttons or typing well on a regular keyboard. Using switch access, voice control or bigger touch targets can help them use devices on their own again.
Key point
Problems with small movements are often hidden. A person may seem fine until they try a task that needs careful control. Many people who use keyboard navigation and switch access have problems moving their hands, not seeing.
Ambulation
Ambulation disabilities affect the ability to walk or move around. They can include needing help like canes or wheelchairs, or not being able to walk at all.
Example
A person using a wheelchair cannot enter a building if steps block the entrance. A ramp or flat entrance lets everyone enter easily without needing help or going around.
Muscle fatigue
Muscle fatigue problems make muscles get tired quickly or without warning. A person might be able to do a task at first but then cannot keep doing it.
Example
A person with multiple sclerosis might be able to type for a short time but feels weaker if they keep typing. Using keyboard shortcuts, voice input and tasks that need fewer keystrokes can make typing easier.
Key point
Disabilities caused by tiredness come and go. A person’s ability one day might be different on another day. Designing for efficiency and reducing repetitive actions benefits this group significantly.
Body size or shape
Designing to save time and cut down on doing the same tasks again helps this group a lot.
Example
An ATM that is placed at a height easy for standing adults to reach is hard to use for people sitting down or who are very short. Controls that can be moved up and down or placed lower solve this problem.
Key point
People often ignore body size and shape when talking about disability and accessibility. The ideas behind universal design talk about this clearly, especially in the “Size and Space for Approach and Use” principle.