Final answer:
The term 'response' is an immediate reaction to a disability, while 'adjustment/adaptation' implies long-term changes to accommodate a disability. These terms highlight the difference between short-term and sustained approaches to dealing with disabilities, both on a personal and societal level.
Step-by-step explanation:
The terms 'response' and 'adjustment/adaptation' when related to disability carry different meanings. A 'response' to disability refers to immediate reactions or actions taken in the face of disability, which could be physiological or administrative. For example, a person sweating in response to high body temperature. On the other hand, an 'adjustment' or an 'adaptation' suggests a more long-term change developed to live with or compensate for the limitations caused by a disability. This could be personal, such as developing new skills to navigate the world with a vision impairment, or societal, like the construction of wheelchair-accessible ramps as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The term disability itself, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), refers to the social limitations that arise from impairments, which are the actual physical limitations. The ADA has helped to mitigate these social limitations by requiring accommodations such as ramps, Braille instructions, and accessible door levers to ensure fairness and access for people with disabilities in society. However, despite such measures, individuals with disabilities can still face challenges such as reduced access to healthcare and educational opportunities, especially in areas of poverty.