ESL Podcast 646 - War-Related Disabilities

veteran - a person who served in the military during a war; a person who has completed military service

Jake's great-grandfather is a World War II veteran.

rewarding - giving one a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction; worthwhile and making someone feel good

It must be so rewarding to work to find homes for orphaned children.

returning vet - a returning veteran; a person who served in the military during a war and is completing or has recently completed that service, coming back home

Returning vets sometimes have difficulty relating to their spouse and children once they move back home.

physically - relating to the body and things that one can feel and see

Unloading boxes from trucks is a physically demanding job.

injured - for a part of the body to be hurt, damaged, or broken

I can't believe nobody was injured in that car accident!

to adjust to - to adapt to something; to transition from one condition or thing to another; to become accustomed to something

How long did it take you to adjust to living in this country?

medical disability - a condition that does not allow one to use part of one's body as other people do

Her hearing is so bad that it's a medical disability and she needs to wear hearing aids.

limb - an arm or leg

Is the pain worse in your right or left limbs?

amputated - removed surgically, especially when talking about an arm, leg, or finger

Bobby's arm got caught in the machines at the factory and it had to be amputated.

hearing loss - a reduction in one's ability to hear well; losing one's ability to hear

Felipe has severe hearing loss because he worked at the airport for 20 years without the right ear protection.

visual impairment - a reduction in one's ability to see well; losing one's ability to see

Yolanda isn't blind, but she has to wear very thick glasses because of her visual impairment.

inspiring - motivating; making one believe that anything is possible and want to try to do difficult things in one's own life

That movie about Mother Theresa was so inspiring! I hope I can accomplish similar things in my life.

paralyzed - unable to move part of one's body, usually because there is a medical problem that prevents the brain from communicating with the muscles in parts of one's body

After the stroke, the left side of Vreneli's face was paralyzed.

paraplegic - paralyzed from the waist down; unable to move one's legs

Mitch is a paraplegic, but he has full use of his arms and hands.

quadriplegic - paralyzed from the neck down; unable to move one's legs and arms

Some computer programs help quadriplegics type by speaking into a microphone.

wheelchair - a special chair that moves on wheels, used by people who cannot walk

Chuck uses a motorized wheelchair that can go up to 10 miles per hour.

prosthetic limb - an artificial arm or leg, used by people who have lost their real arm or leg

Geraldo has only one leg, but hardly anyone knows because his prosthetic limb is so realistic-looking.

seeing-eye dog - a dog that is trained to help a blind person in daily activities, such as crossing the street

Please don't pet seeing-eye dogs, because they're working and they shouldn't be distracted from their job.

modified - changed; altered

This keyboard has been modified to be more ergonomic and prevent wrist injuries.