Journal of the British Society of Special Care Dentistry
April 2026
Volume: 26
Issue: 2
DOI: 10.63507/NIDM2604
Title: ‘As independent as possible, as supported as necessary’
Author: Newton T
Abstract:
As many of you will be aware, the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability & Health (ICF, https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health\) was adopted by all the member states of the WHO in 2001 and has been amended a number of times since then, most recently in 2018.
At its heart the ICF provides a framework for assessing the health of a population and levels of disability. Great emphasis is placed within the ICF on the role that the environment around a person plays in creating disability. Personal and environmental factors such as the negative attitudes of other people, inaccessible transportation and public buildings and limited social support interact with physical and mental conditions to place the individual at a disadvantage in their interactions with the world and their enjoyment of socially valued activities.
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