Disabilities make it harder to take part in normal daily activities. They may limit what you can do physically or mentally, or they can affect your senses. Disability doesn't mean unable, and it isn't a sickness. Most people with disabilities can - and do - work, play, learn, and enjoy full healthy lives. Mobility aids and assistive devices can make all the difference.
About one in every five people in the United States has a disability - the largest minority group. Some people are born with a disability. Some get sick or have an accident that results in a disability. Some people develop disabilities as they age. Almost all of us will have a disability at some point.
- About 13.5 million people, 1 in 20 have a severe disability - defined as unable to perform activities such as walking, lifting, hearing, or reading, or only with the help of another person.
- The overall rate of disability is 20.2 percent for whites, 24.9 percent for
- blacks, and 19.2 percent for Hispanic people.
- 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents (Hearing Instruments Magazine)
- Generally, we all lose a decibel of hearing acuity per year past the age
- of 35
- Spinal Cord Injury stats--82 % are men, between 16-30 years of age. 48% are caused by motor vehicle accidents.
- 1 million people use wheelchairs - 1 out of 250 persons
- Average life span of a quad in an institution--18 months; Average life span of a quad living independently--15 years. (Disability Rag)
- Percent of children less than 18 years of age who receive special education or early intervention services: 5.8 - 4.2 million
- A qualified person with a disability has a 1 out of 100 chance of getting a
- job when compared to people with similar qualifications.
- 65 to 75 percent of us will become disabled simply by living to our full life expectancy.
Resources and Additional Information
Cornucopia of Disability Information: Disability Statistics; codi.buffalo.edu/statistics.html
MedlinePlus; www.nlm.nih.gov
Shapiro, Joseph. 1994. No Pity. Three Rivers Press, New York.
National Center for Health Statistics; www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/disable.htm