Disabilities, Physical and Health-Related

Although students with physical and some health-related disabilities used to be excluded from public schools in the United States, since the passage of the federal special education law in 1975, their right to an education comparable to that of other students has been guaranteed. For some students, the key supports needed are physical assistance and access to technology. For others, supports are needed because of absences from school. For yet others, the physical or health-related problem directly and negatively affects learning. In this entry, three categories of disability are presented: physical disabilities, health impairments, and traumatic brain injury.