handicap

Handicap is a term used to describe a disadvantage or barrier that limits a person’s ability to participate in activities or to compete on equal terms. The word traces to wagering and horse racing, where a handicap was a weight or other adjustment intended to level the field. In contemporary usage, handicap can refer to environmental, social, or personal factors that hinder participation, though the term is increasingly avoided in favor of disability or impairment in many contexts.

In the disability context, handicap can denote the external barriers or systemic factors that limit a person’s participation, as distinct from an impairment of function itself. Many disability-rights scholars prefer terminology that emphasizes the person first or the social model of disability.

In sports and games, a handicap is a method for equalizing contest between competitors of differing ability. A handicap assigns advantages or disadvantages in the form of points, strokes, or weights, to bring competition to a roughly even level. Golf handicaps, for example, translate a player’s past performance into a target score; in team sports, starting scores or point spreads may be adjusted accordingly. Handicap systems are also used in betting markets to balance wagers.

Language and policy: Because of sensitivity around disabilities, some contexts avoid the term handicap. When used, it is helpful to clarify whether it refers to environmental barriers, an impairment, or a formal competition adjustment.