CPACC Disability Types and Barriers 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the difference between congenital and acquired disabilities?
- Congenital disabilities are visible while acquired are invisible
- Congenital disabilities are present from birth while acquired disabilities develop later in life due to illness, injury, or aging (Correct answer)
- Congenital are more severe than acquired
- Congenital affect only physical function while acquired affect only cognitive
Correct answer: Congenital disabilities are present from birth while acquired disabilities develop later in life due to illness, injury, or aging
Congenital disabilities are present at or before birth, while acquired disabilities result from injury, illness, aging, or environmental factors after birth.
Congenital disabilities result from genetic factors (Down syndrome), prenatal conditions (fetal alcohol syndrome), or birth complications (cerebral palsy). Acquired disabilities develop from illness (MS, stroke), injury (spinal cord injury), or progressive conditions (age-related macular degeneration).
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of an attitudinal barrier faced by people with disabilities?
- A building without an elevator
- Assumptions that a person with a disability cannot perform a job or make their own decisions (Correct answer)
- A website without alt text on images
- Public transport without wheelchair ramps
Correct answer: Assumptions that a person with a disability cannot perform a job or make their own decisions
Attitudinal barriers are prejudices and discriminatory attitudes that prevent equal participation.
Attitudinal barriers include assumptions of incompetence, patronizing behavior, pity and charity attitudes, fear and avoidance, low expectations, hero worship, and infantilization. They are considered the most fundamental barriers and drive creation of other barrier types.
Question 3: What are 'communication barriers' for people with disabilities?
- Barriers caused by using different programming languages
- Obstacles preventing effective exchange of information, such as lack of sign language interpreters, inaccessible formats, or complex language (Correct answer)
- Only barriers related to telephone communication
- Barriers that only affect people who are deaf
Correct answer: Obstacles preventing effective exchange of information, such as lack of sign language interpreters, inaccessible formats, or complex language
Communication barriers encompass any obstacle to effective information exchange across multiple disability types.
Communication barriers affect deaf people (no interpreters, missing captions), blind people (print-only materials), people with speech disabilities (phone-only services), people with cognitive disabilities (complex language), and people with learning disabilities (dense text without visual supports).
Question 4: What is 'low vision' and how does it differ from blindness?
- Low vision and blindness are the same condition
- Low vision is a significant visual impairment retaining some usable vision, whereas blindness refers to complete or near-complete absence of sight (Correct answer)
- Low vision only affects people over age 65
- Low vision only means needing reading glasses
Correct answer: Low vision is a significant visual impairment retaining some usable vision, whereas blindness refers to complete or near-complete absence of sight
Low vision cannot be fully corrected but retains some functional vision, while blindness indicates no or minimal functional vision.
WHO defines low vision as acuity between 20/70 and 20/400. Blindness is typically 20/200 or worse. Low vision users rely on magnifiers and contrast adjustments; blind users rely on screen readers and braille. Globally: 43 million blind, 295 million with moderate-to-severe visual impairment.
Question 5: What types of barriers does a person with an intellectual disability commonly face in digital environments?
- Only physical barriers related to motor function
- Cognitive barriers including complex language, confusing navigation, inconsistent design, lack of visual supports, and abstract content (Correct answer)
- Only technical barriers related to screen reader compatibility
- No barriers, as digital environments are inherently accessible
Correct answer: Cognitive barriers including complex language, confusing navigation, inconsistent design, lack of visual supports, and abstract content
People with intellectual disabilities face barriers from complex language, cluttered layouts, inconsistent navigation, and abstract concepts without visual support.
Barriers include complex vocabulary, abstract concepts without visual supports, inconsistent navigation, information overload, lack of plain language alternatives, time limits, complex authentication, and unclear error messages. WCAG 2.2 addresses some through SC 3.3.7 (Accessible Authentication) and SC 3.3.8.
Question 6: What is 'ableism' and how does it manifest as a barrier?
- A philosophy promoting physical fitness
- Discrimination against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior, manifesting as systemic and interpersonal barriers (Correct answer)
- A medical classification system
- A legal term for disability-related lawsuits
Correct answer: Discrimination against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior, manifesting as systemic and interpersonal barriers
Ableism privileges non-disabled experiences, manifesting through exclusionary design, biased policies, stereotyping, and social structures assuming non-disabled function as default.
Ableism manifests at interpersonal (microaggressions), institutional (inaccessible policies), systemic (environments designed only for non-disabled people), and internalized (absorbing negative messages) levels. In digital contexts, it appears when accessibility is treated as an afterthought.
CPACC Disability Types and Barriers 2
What is the difference between congenital and acquired disabilities?