When we see a person in a wheelchair or a mother with sad eyes trying to amuse her child unlike the rest, we try to look away and completely disengage from the problem. Is this right? How many people think that life is unpredictable, and at any moment the trouble may overtake one of us or our loved ones? The answer will probably be negative. But the reality is cruel, and healthy people today may be disabled tomorrow. Therefore, maybe it would be worth looking for answers to questions about who such people with disabilities are, how many disability groups exist, who sets them up?
Patients need constant supervision and assistance from third parties. They more than others need love, affection and care. It is important to note that many of them do not tolerate any pity for themselves, and require that they be perceived as equals.
Today, an increasing number of such people are trying to lead a full life, work, attend recreational activities, relax at resorts, etc. Communicating with them, one should observe a sense of tact and not focus on their health problems.
Basic concepts and their definitions
The term “disability” has Latin roots and comes from the word invalidus, which means “weak”, “weak”. This concept is used when it is necessary to characterize the physical or mental state of a person who, due to certain circumstances, is constantly or for a long time limited or completely disabled. This, in turn, implies a limitation due to the presence of any defect (congenital or acquired). A defect, in turn, or as it is also called a violation, represents the loss or deviation from the norm of any function of the body.
As for the term “disabled person”, in the literal sense it is understood as “unsuitable”. This is the name of a person suffering from a health disorder, a moderate or significant disorder of various functions or systems of the body, resulting from diseases or the result of injuries. As a result, we can talk about the limitation of life, which consists in the complete or partial loss of the ability to take care of yourself, move around without assistance, engage in dialogue with others, clearly express your thoughts, navigate in space, control actions, be responsible for actions, get an education, work.
The criteria of disability groups are used by specialists conducting a medical and social examination in order to determine the conditions in accordance with which the degree of restriction of an individual’s abilities is established.
In the presented sequence of ideas, the meaning of the phrase “rehabilitation of the disabled” should also be clarified. It represents a system and at the same time a step-by-step process of restoration of various human abilities, without which it is impossible to carry out everyday, social and, accordingly, professional activities.
Disability groups: classification and brief description
Disability is a problem that directly or indirectly affects almost every person on Earth. That is why it is no secret to anyone that there are three different groups of disabilities, the classification of which depends on the degree to which these or other functions or systems of the body are violated, and how limited the life of the individual is.
A citizen may be recognized as disabled only upon the conclusion of a medical and social examination. Only members of the commission have the right to decide on satisfaction or, on the contrary, on refusing a person to assign him a disability group. The classification, which is used by experts from the expert group, determines which and to what extent the functions of the body have suffered due to a specific disease, injury, etc. Limitations (violations) of functions are usually subdivided as follows:
- disorders that affect the statodynamic (motor) functions of the body;
- disorders affecting the circulatory system, metabolism, internal secretion, digestion, respiration;
- sensory dysfunctions;
- psychical deviations.
The right to send citizens to a medical and social examination belongs to the medical institution in which they are observed, the body responsible for pension provision (Pension Fund), and the body that provides social protection for the population. In turn, citizens who have received a referral for examination should prepare the following documents:
- Direction issued by one of the above authorized bodies. It contains all the necessary information regarding the state of human health and the degree of disruption of the body.
- An application signed directly by the person to be examined, or by his legal representative.
- Documents confirming the patient’s health problems. These can be discharge epicrisis, the results of instrumental studies, etc.
There are three groups of disabilities. The classification of the main violations of the functions of the human body, as well as their severity, serve as criteria for determining which of these groups to assign to the applicant. After analyzing and discussing the documents submitted by the citizen, specialists decide whether to recognize him as disabled or not. In the presence of all members of the commission, the decision is announced to the person who passed the medical and social examination, and if the situation requires it, all the necessary explanations are given.
It should also be noted that if a person is assigned the first disability group, then re-examination is carried out once every 2 years. Re-examination of persons having a second and third group is organized annually.
An exception is the perpetual disability group. The people who received it can undergo a re-examination at any time of their own free will. To do this, they only need to draw up an appropriate application and send it to the competent authorities.
List of reasons
Very often you can hear conversations that someone has been identified as a disability group for the general disease. With this, everything is more or less clear. However, it would not hurt to know that there are a number of other reasons for obtaining this status, which include the following:
- injuries received by a person in the workplace, as well as some occupational diseases ;
- disability since childhood: birth defects;
- disability resulting from a wound during the years of World War II;
- diseases and injuries sustained during military service;
- disability caused by the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant;
- other reasons established by the law of the Russian Federation.
Disability of the first group
As for the state of human health from a physical point of view, the most difficult is the first group of disabilities. It is assigned to those individuals who have significant violations in the operation of any one or more body systems. We are talking about the highest severity of a disease, pathology or defect, because of which a person is simply not able to service themselves. Even to perform the most basic actions, he without a doubt needs outside help.
Disability of the 1st group is established:
- Persons who are completely incapacitated (permanently or temporarily) and need continuous supervision (care, assistance) from third parties.
- Persons who, although suffering from pronounced functional impairment of body functions, can still carry out certain types of work. However, it should be noted that they can only work if individual conditions are created specifically for them: special workshops, work that they can do without leaving their own home, etc.
In addition, it should be noted that there are certain criteria for determining the disability group. To establish the first group, the following are used:
- lack of ability to self-service;
- inability to move independently;
- loss of spatial orientation skills (disorientation);
- inability to communicate with people;
- the inability to control their behavior and be responsible for the actions taken.
What diseases is the first group disability established for?
To understand why some manage to obtain the status of a person with disabilities, while others are denied this, it is not enough to list only the aforementioned criteria for establishing a disability group. Members of the medical and social commission take into account a number of other factors and circumstances. For example, one cannot ignore the list of diseases in which a person is assigned a disability of group 1. These include:
- severe progressive form of tuberculosis, which is in the stage of decompensation;
- incurable malignant tumor;
- serious diseases that affect the cardiovascular system, accompanied by circulatory failure of the third degree;
- paralysis of the limbs;
- hemiplegia or severe aphasia of the brain;
- schizophrenia with severe and prolonged paranoid and catatonic syndrome;
- epilepsy, in which there are very frequent seizures and constant twilight consciousness;
- dementia and at the same time loss of critical perception of one’s disease;
- stumps of the upper extremities (for example, complete absence of fingers and other more serious amputations);
- stump of the hips;
- total blindness, etc.
All citizens who submit medical documents to members of the commission confirming that they have one of these diseases will be assigned a disability of group 1. Otherwise, this will be denied.
What can be said about the second group of disability?
The second group of disabilities is given to people in whose body serious functional disorders are observed, which are the result of an illness, trauma or congenital defect. As a result, human life is significantly limited, however, the ability to take care of oneself and not to resort to outsiders' assistance is preserved.
A second disability group is established if the following indications exist:
- the ability to serve yourself independently, using various aids or minor third-party assistance;
- the ability to move using assistive devices or with the help of third parties;
- the inability to carry out labor activity or the ability to work only if special conditions are created for this, necessary funds are provided, a special place is equipped;
- inability to receive education in ordinary educational institutions, but susceptibility to mastering information through special programs and in specialized centers;
- the presence of orientation skills both in space and in time;
- ability to communicate, but subject to the use of special tools;
- the ability to control your behavior, but when supervised by third parties.
What diseases is a disability of the second group established for?
Disability of the second group is established if a person suffers from one of the following pathologies:
- the valvular apparatus of the heart or myocardium is affected and the II – III degree of circulatory disturbance;
- II degree of hypertension, which progresses rapidly and is accompanied by frequent angiospastic crises;
- fibrocavernous progressive tuberculosis;
- lung cirrhosis and cardiopulmonary failure;
- severe atherosclerosis of the brain with a pronounced decrease in the level of intelligence;
- injuries and other infectious and non-infectious diseases of the brain, due to the development of which the visual, vestibular and motor functions of the body are disturbed;
- diseases and injuries of the spinal cord, as a result of which the limbs are immobilized;
- recurrent heart attack and coronary insufficiency;
- after the surgical intervention necessary to remove malignant tumors in the stomach, lungs and other organs;
- severe stomach ulcer with loss of appetite;
- epilepsy, accompanied by frequent seizures;
- hip exarticulation;
- thigh stump with significant impaired gait, etc.
Brief description of the third group of disability
The third group of disabilities is established with a significant reduction in a person’s disability as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the systems and functions of the body, which is caused by chronic diseases, as well as various anatomical defects. This group is given by:
- People who, due to poor health, have an urgent need to be transferred to jobs requiring lower qualifications and lower labor costs. For instance:
● A toolmaker with an I – II degree of circulatory disturbance who is physically simply unable to fulfill his professional duties. However, he may well occupy the position of collector of small products.
● The spinner, whose 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers are amputated, needs to be transferred to the position of shredder.
● A high-level milling machine operator suffering from stage II hypertension needs a transfer to the position of a tool distributor.
● A slayer with a diagnosis of silicosis needs a position outside the mine or retraining.
- People who, due to their state of health, need drastic changes in working conditions without changing their profession. This, in turn, requires a significant reduction in the amount of work and skills reduction. For example:
● The chief accountant of the trust, in which cerebral atherosclerosis with memory impairment, distraction, etc., was identified, needs to be transferred to one of the departments of the organization, but with the preservation of the position.
● A weaver serving many machine tools that has been diagnosed with moderate diabetes needs to reduce the number of machines under her responsibility.
- Persons with disabilities who have low qualifications or who were previously never employed at all.
- Among other things, the third group of disabilities is given to people regardless of what kind of work they perform, provided that they have anatomical defects and deformations, and they are unable to fulfill their professional duty.
Disability groups depending on the degree of disability
There are various criteria for assessing the state of human health, on the basis of which disability groups are established. The classification of these criteria and their essence are spelled out in legislative acts. Recall that at present there are three groups, each of which has its own specific features.
The determination of the disability group that the patient needs to establish is an immediate responsibility of the members of the medical and social examination. However, it should be noted that ITU also determines the degree of disability of a person with disabilities.
The first degree assumes that the individual is able to carry out labor activity, but provided that qualifications are reduced and work does not require significant expenditures of forces. The second provides that a person can work, but for this he needs to create special conditions and provide auxiliary technical means. Persons who have identified one of these degrees are assigned a disability working group.
Unlike the first two, the third degree of working capacity implies the inability to carry out labor activity. People to whom ITU has awarded this degree are assigned a non-working disability group.
Category "disabled children"
The category of children with disabilities includes children and adolescents under the age of eighteen and having significant disabilities, the result of which are developmental disabilities, inability to communicate, learn, control their behavior, move independently and carry out future work. In the conclusion of the ITU on a disabled child, as a rule, a number of recommendations are prescribed:
- permanent or temporary placement in institutions specially created for such children;
- individual training;
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