In what sense can one say that ‘disability’ is as much a social as a physical
thing?

Disability is equally social and physical thing:

(i) Combined effect of social perception/idea and physical handicaps make the concerned individual a differently abled person. It is a good term to address these people instead of handicapped, crippled, retarded, Bechera (a poor thing) etc.

(ii) The neglect of society makes the individual emotionally breakdown.

(iii) The society is understood disability as biologically given. is society that seen disabled person as a victim and his destiny as the culprit.

(v) Society supposes disability as disabled individual’s self-perception. Thus, he is neglected.

(vi) Society takes as granted the disabled in need of help and he is addressed as Bechara (a poor and helples thing).
On the basis of above points and pleas, we can confirmly state that disability is as much as a social as a physical thing. Moreover, better it would be if we say social perception and assumption for physically disabled individuals is several time more disastrous and repressive than in terms of physical disability.