People who use a wheelchair, walking frame or back brace are not the only ones with physical disability. Conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome are invisible but result in physical disability.

Physical disability usually involves:

Spinal injury, amputation or acquired brain injury resulting from accidents can cause physical disability. It can also be caused by some medical conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy or atrophy, multiple sclerosis, nervous system diseases, circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases, arthritis, other musculoskeletal disorders, stroke, and post-polio syndrome. Inherited conditions passed on genetically and exposure to drugs or chemicals during pregnancy can also cause physical disability.