Functional domains (Washington Group)

The international standard for measuring functioning. The Washington Group Short Set asks about difficulty in six everyday domains — seeing, hearing, walking, remembering or concentrating, self-care, and communicating. Rather than labelling a diagnosis, it maps where, if anywhere, everyday activities are harder — the culturally neutral, functional approach the UN Washington Group designed for censuses and surveys worldwide, and the basis for making services accessible. Share only the domains you choose.

The Washington Group Short Set on Functioning (WG-SS), developed and field-tested by the UN-affiliated Washington Group on Disability Statistics and adopted for national censuses and surveys worldwide (Madans, Loeb & Altman, 2011); grounded in the WHO International Classification of Functioning (ICF). (Washington Group on Disability Statistics — Short Set on Functioning (WG-SS))

Groups

• Seeing — Difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses.
• Hearing — Difficulty hearing, even when using a hearing aid.
• Walking & mobility — Difficulty walking or climbing steps.
• Remembering & concentrating — Difficulty remembering or concentrating.
• Self-care — Difficulty with self-care, such as washing all over or dressing.
• Communicating — Difficulty communicating in your usual language — understanding others, or being understood.

References

• Madans, J. H., Loeb, M. E., & Altman, B. M. (2011). Measuring disability and monitoring the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: the work of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics. BMC Public Health

Related topics

• Disability status
• Accessibility that matters to you
• Visible or invisible
• How you understand disability
• Language you prefer for disability

All topics on ArtaQuest