EN
The lexis related to physical disability belongs to the scopes of vocabulary which have undergone significant changes over ages. This regards the structure of the field, the number of units and their correlations, and the valuation ascribed to them. This paper presents the history of lexemes connected with motor, visual and auditory disabilities, as well as words referring to the disabled in general. The text ends with reflections about the concept of disability in the contemporary Polish and English language and possibility to define it (with historical data taken into account), as well as various values associated with disabilities.