The ICF and speech-language pathology: Aspiring to a fuller realization of ethical and moral issues

Abstract

The World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) is a tool that was developed to improve the functional health of the world's people. The ICF is meant to be more than simply a better way to classify functional limitations. WHO seeks to change the way people view disability. This article discusses the ethical guidelines listed in the ICF and how they can be used by speech-language pathologists to aspire to a fuller realization of the ethical and moral aspects of their vocation. This realization includes an argument that the disability rights struggle is part of an overall quest for the basic human rights of all people.