Census Data on People with Disabilities:
Interesting Facts

 

This information is provided by
ADA-OHIO
(The Americans with Disabilities Act)
700 Morse Road, Suite 101
Columbus, OH 43214

in commemoration of the 12th Anniversary of
Americans With Disabilities Act July 26,2002.

Population Distribution:

49.7 million: Number of people age 5 and over with a disability, according to Census 2000; this is a ratio of nearly 1-in-5 U.S. residents, or 19 percent. Among these -

  • 5.2 million were between the ages of 5 and 20. This was 8 percent of people in this age group.

  • 30.6 million were between the ages of 21 and 64. Fifty-seven percent of them were employed.

  • 14.0 million were 65 and over. Those with disabilities comprised 42 percent of people in this age group. 24%: Proportion of Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and West Virginia residents 5 and over who had a disability in 2000, among the highest rates in the nation. At the other end of the spectrum, Alaska, Minnesota and Utah had disability rates around 15 percent.

For further information, see http://www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/2002/demoprofiles.html

Earnings and Education:

  • 33,109: According to the March 2001 supplement to the Current Population Survey, these are the mean earnings in 2000 of year-round, full-time workers 16 to 64 with work
    disabilities. By comparison, those without work disabilities earned an average of $43,269.

  • 72%: Percentage of people 16 to 64 with work disabilities who had high school diplomas or higher education in 2001.

  • 11%: Percentage of people 16 to 64 with work disabilities who had college degrees or more in 2001. (For further information, see http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disable/disabcps.html)

 

According to a report titled "Americans With Disabilities: 1997," based on the Survey of Income and Program Participation, among people 15 and over in 1997:

  • 25 million had difficulty walking a quarter mile or climbing a flight of 10 stairs, or used an ambulatory aid, such as a wheelchair (2.2 million) or a cane, crutches or a walker (6.4 million).

  • About 18 million had difficulty lifting and carrying a 10-pound bag of groceries or grasping small objects.

  • About 14.3 million had a mental disability, including 1.9 million with Alzheimer's disease, senility or dementia; and 3.5 million with learning disabilities.

  • About 8.0 million had difficulty hearing what was said in a normal conversation with another person (even when wearing a hearing aid); of these, 800,000 were unable to hear what was said in a normal conversation.

  • About 7.7 million had difficulty seeing the words and letters in ordinary newspaper print (even with glasses); of these, 1.8 million were unable to see words and letters in ordinary
    newspaper print. (For further information, see http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01-46.html

Note: Source: U.S. Census Bureau Public Information Office. The preceding facts come from Census 2000, the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program
Participation. Due to the scope of the questionnaires, these three surveys use very different definitions of disability. As a result, the number of people classified as having a disability is not comparable among the three sources. Additionally, the data are subject to sampling variability
and other sources of error.

Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office (301)763-3030; fax: (301)457-3670; e-mail: pio@census.gov.

      ©2002 ILRU Program. All rights reserved.