Please note: The FAME glossary is not intended to be a completely comprehensive index of all disabilities or disability-related terminology. For a more complete listing, please consult the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, Text Revised (DSM-IV TR), available in libraries and bookstores nationwide. Alternatively, you may also consult resources from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) or National Institutes of Health (NIH) publications. Please also see our Supplemental Resources pages in the Rights and Responsibilities module for more information.
Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Conditions characterized by a total inability to hear or by limited ability to hear. Those individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing vary considerably and, depending upon usable residual hearing and preference, may use different types of auxiliary aids and accommodations. Some speak; others use very little or no oral communication.top
Dementia
Psychiatric disorder characterized by chronic or progressive nature that affects cortical functions, such as memory, language, comprehension, calculation and judgments. Could be side effect of:- •Huntington's Disease
- Parkinson's Disease
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Epilepsy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Head Trauma
- Encephalitis (nervous system)
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Dependent Personality Disorder
Grouped under personality disorder. Characterized as one's need to be cared for; having clingy or submissive behavior.top
Depression
Grouped under mood disorders. Psychiatric disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, or feeling restless, fatigued or worthless, that affects the body, thoughts, and emotions and lasts at least two weeks. Can lead to physical or emotional withdrawal. May be chronic.top
Diabetes
Medical disorder characterized by high levels of blood glucose in the body due to lack of insulin production.top
Disability
As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): "(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of an individual; (B) a record of such an impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such an impairment." 42 U.S.C. §12102.top
Disability Statement
A statement placed on course syllabi indicating a faculty member's willingness to provide reasonable accommodations to a student with a disability. Examples of a syllabi disability statement are as follows:- Any student who feels he/she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact Disability Support Services at xxx.xxx.xxxx in (location) to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
- I encourage all students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic medical impairments, learning disabilities, head injury, psychiatric conditions, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, to discuss with me in private after class or during my office hours appropriate accommodations that might be helpful to them.
- If you have specific physical, psychiatric, or learning disabilities and require accommodations, please let me know early in the semester so that your learning needs may be appropriately met. All discussions will remain confidential. You will need to provide documentation of your disability to Disability Support Services in (location).
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Disability Support Services (DSS)
The unit or office on campus responsible for determining accommodation eligibility and for arranging/providing accommodations to students with documented disabilities. On some campuses, this office is its own entity, but on other campuses, offices for student services, academic affairs, multicultural affairs, counseling, or equal opportunity encumber accommodating and supporting students with disabilities as part of the services they provide.top
Disclosure
When a student reveals he/she has a disability in order to obtain needed accommodations. It involves self-advocacy and self-determination and is the first step in the accommodations process for a student with a disability.top
Distraction-reduced Space
A controlled setting in which a student with a disability may take exams without distractions from the environment. It is an accommodation commonly used for individuals who have difficulties concentrating, such as those with ADHD. Typically, test taking in distraction-reduced spaces is arranged and monitored by an institution's Disability Support Services (DSS) office.top
Documentation
Comprehensive written validation of a person's disability and the functional limitations of the disability provided by an appropriate professional qualified to make a specific type of diagnosis. This documentation must be given to service providers before appropriate services, accommodations and auxiliary aids can be approved.top
Domains
In research, the set of related elements to which a variable is delimited or defined; clusters of interrelated and specific concepts of measurement for a broader variable. Domains of measurement frequently apply to survey research.top
Dyslexia
Neurobiological learning disability with a deficit in the phonological component of language. Characterized by impairment of accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. May cause impairment in reading comprehension and reduced reading experiences, which may impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.top
