World Health Organization

International classification of functioning, disability and health

THIS IS THE LARGE PRINT VERSION OF "ICF" FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED"International Classification of Functioning " (ICF) is a classification of health and health-related domains that provides a standard language for describing how people live with their health condition. It covers body functions and structures, activities and participation, from both individual and societal perspectives. The "ICF" puts the notions of health and disability in a new light. Disability is not something that only happens to a minority of humanity. It acknowledges that every human being can undergo a decrement in health and thereby experience some degree of disability. The "ICF" thus mainstreams the experience of disability and recognizes it as a universal human experience. By shifting the focus from cause to impact, it places all health conditions on an equal footing allowing them to be compared using a common metric the ruler of health and disability. Furthermore, "ICF" takes into account the social aspects of disability and does not see disability only as medical or biological dysfunction. It also takes into account the impact of the environment on the person's functioning. "ICF" is useful in understanding and measuring health outcomes. It can be used in clinical settings, health services or surveys at the individual or population level.In view of the differing needs of different types of users, "ICF" is presented in multiple formats and versions: ICF Full VersionA conclusive volume with glossary definitions and full list of codes including all details. Available in all official WHO languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).ICF Pocket VersionThe pocket size version contains main 2 level codes (max. 99 per list) for practical purposes.ICF on CD-ROMThe CD-ROM includes ICF in 6 official WHO and other languages and provides the following functionality: 1. Allows browsing the classification in its tree structure2. Can display two languages at the same time3. Provides advanced search functions4. Cross-references via hyperlinks5. Allows the user to select and work on subsets of the classification 6. Internet based upgrading facility which allows incorporating future modifications in the classification and additional language versions7. Allows user to send comments and feedback to WHO ICF Full version in Large Print (for the visually impaired)