I am 42 and I just bought my first pair of reading glasses. It was a milestone—like getting my driver’s license. I have been expecting it ever since I turned 40. I see others at my age start to hold the paper further and further away until their arm just isn’t long enough anymore. Despite my efforts to ignore it, I finally caved. Now I love my new glasses- the text on my telephone is so large and easy to read.  I wonder why I didn’t buy them sooner!  While I had a new disability, there are almost 175,000 people in North Carolina affected by a “life-long” disability.

Changes to eye-sight are considered one of the most common “age-related” or late life changes. Other physical health changes of aging include arthritis and osteoporosis, hypertension and blood pressure changes, heart disease, diabetes, hearing impairment, and memory changes or dementia. These conditions can result in limitations with physical function.  Those changes may require individuals to need help for the first time in their life.

Impacts of “Life-Long” Disability

While these age related changes often result in a “new” disability, there are many North Carolina residents who have lived their entire life with physical or intellectual and other behavioral impairments.  Those impairments have slowed their learning, limited their mobility, and required them to be dependent on others for care and assistance. These are referred to as “life-long” disability or “developmental disabilities”.  They are generally defined as conditions that occur before the age of 22.  That means that they significantly impact growth and development, and result in difficulty with activities of daily life.

Approximately 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability.  A “life-long” disability includes illnesses such as down syndrome, cerebral palsy, Fragile X Syndrome.  It can also include blindness, brain injuries, Autism, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), seizures, learning disorders, or other intellectual disabilities.

March is recognized nationally as Developmental Disability Awareness Month

President Reagan was the first to formally recognize this month in 1987. Since then, we have made advances in our research of developmental disabilities and opportunities for early detection, screening, and intervention. March is a time to talk about developmental disabilities so we can better understand the life long experiences of individuals living with these conditions and their families. This population is living longer and will need our care more than ever—persons with developmental disabilities over the age of 60 will increase three-fold in the next 20 years. Raising our own awareness can only make us better caregivers today and in the future.