Census Bureau Reveals 1 in 5 Americans Have Some Level of Disability

According to a report released by the Census Bureau, almost 1 in 5 persons in the U.S. (approximately 53 million people) said they had some level of disability, while 1 in 8 (33 million people) report a severe disability.

"Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, the Census Bureau has collected data that make it possible to relate disability status to a range of other variables, including income, employment, health insurance coverage, and the receipt of program benefits," said Census Bureau analyst Sharon Stern.

A person with a disability is defined as "someone who has difficulty in performing functional tasks or daily living activities or meets other criteria, such as a learning or developmental disability." A severe disability means a person is completely unable to perform one or more tasks or activities, needs personal assistance, or has one of the severe conditions described in the report.

The study found that people with severe disabilities are more likely to receive welfare benefits, live in poverty, and have no health insurance. Among people 25- to 64-years-old, only 48% of people with a severe disability had health insurance-compared to 80% of people with a nonsevere disability and 82% of those with no disability. The report's other findings included the following.

  • Approximately 25 million people over the age of 15 reported difficulty walking a quarter mile or climbing a flight of 10 stairs.
  • Approximately 2.2 million people reported using a wheelchair, and 6.4 million used other ambulatory aids such as canes, walkers, and crutches.
  • Approximately 18 million people over the age of 15 had difficulty lifting and carrying a 10-pound bag of groceries or grasping small objects.
  • Approximately 14.3 million people had a mental disability-including 1.9 million suffering from Alzheimer's disease, senility, or dementia and 3.5 million with a learning disability.
  • Approximately 9.7 million people aged 16 to 64 reported that a disability prevented them from working, and another 7.2 million were limited in the amount or type of work they could perform.

The report was not part of Census 2000 but a 1997 study conducted by the bureau entitled "Americans with Disabilities: 1997."

From the March 16, 2001 article, "Nearly 1 in 5 Americans Have Some Level of Disability, U.S. Census Bureau Reports," from Homehealthprovider.com