(at·ten·dant) NOUN: One who attends or assists another. In terms of disability, an attendant can be a personal caregiver or a worker in a public or private institution. In the hierarchy of prestige and wages at an institution, doctors were at the top and attendants were at the bottom. Attendants, on the other hand, were those in closest and most frequent contact with people with disabilities. In a private setting, the term personal attendant is commonly used.