What makes a person disabled? That is the very question I’ve been grappling with lately. Disability is a large category that lumps a certain ‘type’ of people in a group. A person can be physically disabled, which I think is what society commonly sees as disabled. There are also mental disabilities, learning disabilities, cognitive to name a few. The point is that disability is not just a physical impairment that impedes a person from carrying out daily living. Physical disabilities are mostly ones that are visible, however mental disabilities sometimes can be unseen. Grouping all disabilities into one category can ignore individual differences of the people with disabilities.
To understand what makes a person disabled, we have to recognize that disability is not one person. Like mental illness, disability looks different on everyone. Some may have outward, physical impairments. Others may have silent, unnoticeable disabilities. We must be aware of these differences and embrace the variety of people. As simple as it may sound, just being aware and knowledgeable can make a difference in understanding disability and the individuals who make up the community. I may not know everything about disability, but I’d like to think that I am taking steps towards changing that. If only society at large would do the same..
Unruly Bodies 
I agree, you make a really good point! I think sometimes when we group people into large categories like ‘disabled’ it can erase differences and imply that everyone in that group has the same story. Especially when it comes to the difference between those who have a visible disability and those who have an invisible disability, diversity of experience and needs is incredibly important. I know many people want to create large groups so they feel more included, but it has its downsides. While we work toward gaining social acceptance, we have to keep in mind differences as well as similarities.