Glossary

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(also: ALS, Motor Neurone Disease, MND)

A progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons controlling voluntary muscle movement, leading to progressive weakness, muscle wasting, and eventually loss of the ability to speak, swallow, and breathe. ALS is one of the primary conditions for which gaze-based…

Body-Powered Prosthesis(also: Cable-Operated Prosthesis, Mechanical Prosthesis)

A body-powered prosthesis is a type of prosthetic device that uses the wearer's own body movements to operate a mechanical function, typically through a cable-pull system. In upper-limb devices like those produced by the e-NABLE community, wrist flexion pulls cables that cause…

Drop Foot(also: Foot Drop, Peroneal Nerve Palsy)

A condition characterized by difficulty lifting the front part of the foot, causing the toes to drag along the ground during walking. Drop foot is not a disease itself but a symptom of an underlying neurological, muscular, or anatomical problem, commonly caused by nerve injury…

Functional Classification(also: Sport Classification, Player Classification)

A system used in adaptive and Paralympic sports to group athletes into categories based on their physical functional abilities rather than their specific medical diagnosis. In wheelchair basketball, players are assigned a classification from 1.0 (least trunk mobility) to 4.5…

Hemiplegia(also: Hemiparesis)

A condition involving paralysis or severe weakness on one side of the body, most commonly resulting from stroke but also caused by traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or other neurological conditions. Hemiplegia affects the arm, leg, and sometimes facial muscles on the…

Limb Difference(also: Limb Deficiency, Upper-Limb Difference)

Limb difference is a term used to describe the absence or malformation of one or more limbs or parts of limbs. It can be congenital (present from birth) or acquired through amputation due to injury, disease, or surgery. The term "limb difference" is increasingly preferred over…

Manual Dexterity(also: Fine Motor Skills, Hand Dexterity)

The ability to use hands and fingers to perform precise, coordinated movements. Reduced manual dexterity can result from conditions such as arthritis, neurological disorders, injuries, or aging, and affects the ability to use keyboards, mice, touchscreens, and other input…

Mobility Disability(also: Mobility Impairment, Physical Mobility Limitation)

A disability that affects a person's ability to move freely, including walking, climbing stairs, maintaining balance, or using fine motor skills. Mobility disabilities may result from conditions such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, amputation,…

Mobility Impairment(also: Mobility Disability, Physical Mobility Limitation)

A condition that limits a person's ability to move freely and independently, affecting functions such as walking, climbing stairs, or maintaining balance. Mobility impairments can result from congenital conditions, spinal cord injuries, amputations, neurological conditions like…

Muscular Dystrophy(also: MD)

A group of inherited genetic conditions that cause progressive weakness and degeneration of skeletal muscles, the muscles that control movement. There are many types of muscular dystrophy varying in severity, age of onset, and which muscles are affected. Because muscular…

Oligodactyly

A congenital condition in which a person is born with fewer than the typical number of fingers or toes. The condition varies widely in presentation — some individuals may have fewer digits on one hand or both, and the remaining digits may differ in size, strength, or dexterity.…

Orthotics(also: Orthosis, Orthoses, Orthotic Device)

Externally applied devices used to modify the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems — including braces, splints, and supports for the spine, limbs, hands, feet, and neck. Orthoses stabilize joints, correct alignment, redistribute…

Parkinson's Disease(also: PD)

A progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting movement, including tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and balance problems. Parkinson's disease can also significantly affect speech (causing quiet, monotone, or slurred speech), facial expression, and fine motor control.…

Prosthesis(also: Prosthetic, Prosthetic Device, Artificial Limb)

A prosthesis is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through congenital conditions, injury, or disease. Prostheses range from purely cosmetic devices designed to replicate natural appearance, to functional devices that restore some degree of…

Pusher Syndrome(also: Contraversive Pushing, Lateropulsion)

A clinical disorder occurring in some stroke survivors in which the patient actively pushes their body weight away from the non-paralyzed (non-hemiparetic) side, leading to a severe loss of postural balance. Typically caused by damage to the left or right brain, pusher syndrome…

Scoliosis

A structural condition in which the spine develops a sideways curvature, often in an 'S' or 'C' shape. Scoliosis ranges from mild curves requiring only monitoring to severe cases that can affect posture, breathing, mobility, and chronic pain, and it is sometimes associated with…

Severe Speech and Physical Impairments(also: SSPI)

A classification describing individuals who have significant limitations in both speech production and physical movement, often co-occurring in conditions such as cerebral palsy. People with SSPI may have little or no functional speech and limited fine motor control, which…

Speech Impairment(also: Speech Disability, Communication Disability)

A condition affecting the ability to produce speech sounds or to communicate verbally. Speech impairments range from mild articulation difficulties to complete inability to speak, and may be caused by neurological conditions, physical injuries, developmental conditions, or…

Spina Bifida(also: Neural Tube Defect, Myelomeningocele)

A congenital birth defect in which the embryonic neural tube fails to close completely during development, resulting in an incompletely formed spinal cord. The severity ranges from mild (spina bifida occulta, often asymptomatic) to severe (myelomeningocele, where the spinal cord…

Spinal Cord Injury(also: SCI)

Damage to the spinal cord that results in temporary or permanent changes in motor function, sensation, or autonomic function below the level of injury. Depending on the location and severity, spinal cord injuries can cause paraplegia (lower body paralysis) or…

Spinal Cord Injury(also: SCI)

Damage to the spinal cord that results in partial or complete loss of motor function, sensation, or both below the level of injury. The location of injury along the spine determines which abilities are affected: injuries at higher vertebrae (e.g., C4-C5) affect more of the body,…

Spinal Stenosis(also: Lumbar Stenosis, Cervical Stenosis)

A narrowing of the spaces within the spine that can put pressure on the nerves travelling through the spinal column. When spinal stenosis occurs in the cervical (neck) region, it can cause weakness, numbness, or tingling in the hands and arms, affecting fine motor control and…

Stroke(also: Cerebrovascular Accident, CVA)

A medical condition caused by interruption of blood supply to the brain, resulting in brain cell damage that can cause a range of disabilities including paralysis, speech and language impairments (aphasia), cognitive difficulties, and sensory changes. Stroke is a leading cause…

Symbrachydactyly

A rare congenital condition in which a child is born with abnormally short fingers that may be webbed, misshapen, or missing. The name combines "sym" (joined), "brachy" (short), and "dactyly" (finger). Typically only one hand is affected, and the underlying bone, muscle,…

Upper Body Motor Impairment(also: Upper Limb Impairment, Upper Extremity Disability)

A condition affecting the motor function of the arms, hands, or upper body that limits or prevents the use of standard input devices such as keyboards, mice, and touchscreens. Upper body motor impairments can result from conditions including amputation, cerebral palsy, spinal…

Upper-Body Motor Impairment(also: Upper Extremity Impairment, Upper Limb Impairment)

Motor impairments affecting the upper extremities — including the arms, hands, fingers, shoulders, and neck — that limit a person's ability to perform tasks requiring fine motor control, gross motor movements, or upper-body strength. Common causes include spinal cord injury,…

Upper-Limb Impairment(also: Upper Extremity Impairment, Arm Impairment, Hand Impairment)

A physical disability affecting the arms, hands, or fingers that limits a person's ability to perform fine motor tasks such as typing, using a mouse, or operating touchscreen devices. Upper-limb impairments can result from conditions including spinal cord injury, stroke,…

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