How Do You Define Disabled?

Disabled is a word which has several different meanings depending on its usage. Disabled could mean something that is not operative like for instance a disabled telephone connection or a disabled cable wire. It could also mean someone who has an impairment of some kind like a disabled soldier or a disabled child. If one is referring to physically impaired people as a group then they are referred to as the physically disabled. Disabled people are therefore those people who are incapacitated due to some illness or perhaps an accident. The commonly used word for them is handicapped but is considered offensive by some.

A disabled person could also be a person who is so injured that they cannot continue in their line of work like a disabled policeman. Disabled software could mean software that is inactive or that has been switched off. It does not indicate that the software is in disrepair or has been broken. It is often used to describe that software which has several options, which can be disabled at will.