by Cynthia Hammer, MSW, Executive Director, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition

ADHD: Disability or Difference?

People with ADHD line up on either side of this question. Some believe “ADHD is a disability,” while others maintain “ADHD is a difference.” The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines difference as “the quality or state of being dissimilar or different.” A difference implies there is no impairment; if there is impairment, it is no longer distressful and limiting to a person’s life.

For me, ADHD is both a disability and a difference. Which word applies depends on where a person is in their ADHD journey.

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