Statistics of Disability

According to the US Department of Commerce, a person has a disability when he/she has difficulty with any of the following:

• normal body functions, such as seeing, hearing, talking, or walking

• activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing or dressing

• certain expected roles, such as doing housework, schoolwork, or working at a job

• performing usual activities, such as driving or taking a bus

Statistics related to disability:

• Approximately 54 million people in the US have some type of disability, with physical, sensory, mental, and self-care effects ranging from mild to severe.

• Nearly 42 percent of persons over age 65 (or 14 million people) have some level of disability.

• About 11 million people of all ages are severely disabled and need personal assistance for daily activities.

• Stroke is a leading cause of long-term, severe disability in Americans. Today, 5.8 million US adults live with the effects of a stroke.

• Approximately 1.4 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year.

• About 12,000 people in the US suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) each year. At present, about 230,000 to 301,000 people live with a SCI disability.