What defines a handicap in rehabilitation context?

• A. A disability is the disadvantage due to environmental barriers.
• B. A handicap is the disadvantage experienced by an individual with a disability due to societal attitudes, structures, and environmental obstacles.
• C. A handicap is a medical diagnosis.
• D. A handicap is the performance limitation from the environment only.

Answer: (B)

Handicap is the disadvantage experienced by a person with an impairment because society and the environment are not designed to accommodate them. This reflects the social model of disability, where the impairment exists in the person, but the real-world impact comes from barriers created by attitudes, policies, and inaccessible structures that limit participation. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair faces obstacles like stairs or lack of ramps, which translate an impairment into a handicap in daily life.

This framing is why it’s the best choice: disability, in contrast, refers to the impairment or limitation itself, not the societal barriers that adjust how that impairment affects functioning. And a medical diagnosis is not what defines a handicap. Saying the handicap is only a performance limitation from the environment is incomplete, because it also involves how the environment interacts with the individual's abilities and broader social factors.