The objective of this work is to establish the relationship between the social determinants of health and the components of disability. Methods and Tools: descriptive study with phase correlation. 6.150 records corresponding to the totality of the population indexed in the Public Record of Location and Characterization of People with Disability, provided by the local Health Department of Manizales, were analyzed. Results: 3.181 of the total records were women and 2.969 were men; the average age was 40.5 years for men and 48.9 years for women. The study showed that the most significant alterations were: Alterations in body movement, hands, arms and legs (44.7 %); the main barriers are architectural ones; greater involvement in religious and family activities was found; involvement in cultural activities was scarce. The study revealed that permanent impairments are more common in middle adulthood, old age and childhood; the study also showed a relationship between age and ethnicity with participation restriction, p < 0,05. Conclusions: Low educational levels, resulting from a restriction in participation, hinder the capability to acquire knowledge and skills which would otherwise allow access to a broader labour market and to better living conditions.