Understanding Disability Statistics
People like to obtain complex and reliable data for the topics they are interested in from online sources, especially when the data is presented in appealing and easy-to-understand tables and charts. It is the same for anyone working with people affected by disabilities or wanting to understand disability-related issues. Yet, a cursory internet search reveals innumerable statistics on disabilities; the numbers usually do not agree. For example, the 2011 American Community Survey (ACS) shows 37.3 million (12.1%) civilian non-institutionalized persons of all ages with disabilities. On the other hand, the 2010 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) indicates 56.7 million (18.7%) civilian non-institutionalized persons of all ages with disabilities. So, which number is correct? What source should we trust?
The statistics depend on the definition of disability. How one defines disability will determine how many people are included or left out in the data. However, as we have previously discussed, disability is a complex and contested topic, and there is no universally agreed upon definition. As a result, disability statistics differ.
American Community Survey (ACS)
The ACS covers six disability types
- Hearing difficulty – Deaf or having serious difficulty hearing (DEAR).
- Vision difficulty – Blind or having serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses (DEYE).
- Cognitive difficulty – Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulty remembering, concentrating, or making decisions (DREM).
- Ambulatory difficulty – Having serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (DPHY).
- Self-care difficulty – Having difficulty bathing or dressing (DDRS).
- Independent living difficulty – Because of a physical, mental, or emotional problem, having difficulties doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor’s office or shopping (DOUT).
Respondents to the survey who report any person with any of these six disability types are considered to have a disability.
2017: ACS 1-Year Supplemental Estimates1
| Label | Estimate | Percentage |
| Total: | 320,775,014 | 100.0% |
| With a disability: | 40,678,654 | 12.7% |
| With a hearing difficulty | 11,515,283 | 3.6% |
| With a vision difficulty | 7,555,551 | 2.4% |
| With a cognitive difficulty | 15,382,217 | 4.8% |
| With an ambulatory difficulty | 20,903,105 | 6.5% |
| With a self-care difficulty | 7,951,196 | 2.5% |
| With an independent living difficulty | 14,591,675 | 4.5% |
| No disability | 280,096,360 | 87.3% |
United States Census Bureau
Prevalence of Specific Measures of Disability Among Indidividauls 18 Years and Old: 2014
| Category | Number | Percent |
| Total | 240,054 | 100.0% |
| Disability Status | ||
| With a disability | 72,732 | 30.3% |
| No disability | 167,322 | 69.7% |
| Seeing/Hearing/Speaking | ||
| With a disability | 28,078 | 11.7% |
| Serious difficulty seeing | 12,316 | 5.1% |
| Blind | 1,561 | 0.7% |
| Serious difficulty hearing | 17,063 | 7.1% |
| Deaf | 3,442 | 1.4% |
| Difficulty with speech | 4,937 | 2.1% |
| Used a hearing aid | 8,195 | 3.4% |
| Walking/Using Stairs | ||
| With a disability | 39,006 | 16.2% |
| Used a wheelchair | 5,473 | 2.3% |
| Used a cane/crutches/walker | 18,415 | 7.7% |
| Selected Physical Tasks | ||
| With a disability | 29,729 | 12.4% |
| Difficulty lifting | 24,543 | 10.2% |
| Difficulty grasping | 13,376 | 5.6% |
| Difficulty pushing/pulling | 32,935 | 13.7% |
| Difficulty standing | 37,834 | 15.8% |
| Difficulty sitting | 19,100 | 8.0% |
| Difficulty crouching | 46,954 | 19.6% |
| Difficulty reaching | 20,290 | 8.5% |
| Activities of Daily Living (ADL) | ||
| With an ADL limitation | 17,701 | 7.4% |
| Needed assistance | 9,621 | 4.0% |
| Did not need assistance | 8,080 | 3.4% |
| Difficulty getting around | 4,621 | 1.9% |
| Difficulty getting into bed | 11,467 | 4.8% |
| Difficulty bathing | 10,334 | 4.3% |
| Difficulty dressing | 7,668 | 3.2% |
| Needed assistance | 5,001 | 2.1% |
| Did not need assistance | 2,667 | 1.1% |
| Difficulty eating | 2,546 | 1.1% |
| Difficulty toileting | 4,240 | 1.8% |
| Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) | ||
| With an IADL limitation | 27,499 | 11.5% |
| Difficulty going out | 17,450 | 7.3% |
| Difficulty managing money | 10,842 | 4.5% |
| Difficulty preparing meals | 10,600 | 4.4% |
| Difficulty doing housework | 13,333 | 5.6% |
| Difficulty taking medication | 8,499 | 3.5% |
| Difficulty using the phone | 4,069 | 1.7% |
| Mental | ||
| With a disability | 30,057 | 12.5% |
| With one or more selected conditions | 23,220 | 9.7% |
| A learning disability | 8,462 | 3.5% |
| Alzheimer’s, senility, or dementia | 7,903 | 3.3% |
| Intellectual disability | 2,807 | 1.2% |
| Developmental disability | 1,458 | 0.6% |
| Other mental/emotional condition | 10,318 | 4.3% |
| With one or more selected symptoms | 16,121 | 6.7% |
| Depressed or anxious | 12,832 | 5.3% |
| Trouble getting along with others | 5,197 | 2.2% |
| Trouble concentrating | 10,268 | 4.3% |
| Trouble coping with stress | 11,514 | 4.8% |
| Working at a Job Age 18 to 64 Years | ||
| With disability-related problems | 36,648 | 15.3% |
| Has difficulty remaining employed | 27,067 | 11.3% |
| Limited in kind or amount of work | 32,791 | 13.7% |
| Disability Domains | ||
| With a disability in one domain | 38,556 | 16.1% |
| Communicative | 7,758 | 3.2% |
| Physical | 22,463 | 9.4% |
| Mental | 8,335 | 3.5% |
Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP)
The SIPP is a longitudinal survey conducted over a period of three to five years. Disability is measured using the six disability types from the ACS, three additional childhood disabilities, and three related to work disabilities. The questions used to collect disability data in the 2014 SIPP are below:2
| Variable Name | Question | Age Group |
| EDDELAY | Has a developmental condition or delay that limits ordinary activity | Children under 5 years old |
| EPLAYDIF | Limited ability to play with other children of the same age | Children between 5 and 14 years old |
| ESKOOLWK | Limited ability to do regular school work | Children between 5 and 14 years old |
| ESEEING | Serious difficulty seeing | All respondents |
| EHEARING | Serious difficulty hearing | All respondents |
| ECOGNIT | Serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions | Respondents aged 5 years and older |
| EAMBULAT | Serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs | Respondents aged 5 years and older |
| ESELFCARE | Difficulty dressing or bathing | Respondents aged 5 years and older |
| EERRANDS | Difficulty going outside the home | Respondents aged 15 years and older |
| EDISABL | Limited in the kind or amount of work they are able to do | Respondents aged 15 years and older |
| EFIND JOB | Difficulty finding or keeping a job | Respondents between 15 and 70 years old |
| EJOBCANT | Prevented from working | Respondents aged 15 and older who report EDISABL=1 or EFINDJOB=1 and who do not have a job |
The SIPP uses more expansive disability criteria than the ACS. This detailed definition means that SIPP will account for more people with a variety of disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA became law in 1990. It is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all areas of public life. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) was signed into law in 2008 and became effective in 2009.
The definition of disability under ADA is even broader than the ACS and SIPP. The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people with a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.
Annual Disability Statistics Compendium
The Annual Disability Statistics Compendium and its complement, the Annual Disability Statistics Supplement, are summaries of statistics about people with disabilities and the government programs serving them. The Compendium is a compilation of data from multiple sources, such as the Social Security Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, among others.3
Civilians Living in the Community for the United States and States, by Disability Status: 2020
| Total | Disability Count | Perecent | No Disability Count | Perecent | |
| U.S. | 328,293,917 | 44,061,818 | 13.4% | 284,232,099 | 86.6% |
| West Virginia1 | 1,787,384 | 349,832 | 19.6% | 1,437,552 | 80.4% |
| Arizona2 | 3,014,116 | 578,536 | 19.2% | 2,435,580 | 80.8% |
1 The state of West Virginia had the highest disability population rate.
2 The state of Arizona had the second highest disability population rate.
Civilians Living in the Community for the United States and States by Disability Types: 2020
| The U.S. | 328,293,917 | 44,061,818 | 13.4% |
| Disability Types | Disability Count | % Total | % Disability |
| Hearing Disability | 11,926,360 | 3.6% | 27.1% |
| Vision Disability | 8,032,555 | 2.4% | 18.2% |
| Cognitive Disability | 17,472,328 | 5.3% | 39.7% |
| Ambulatory Disability | 21,779,183 | 6.6% | 49.4% |
| Self-Care Disability | 8,916,136 | 2.7% | 20.2% |
| Independent Living Disability | 16,356,212 | 5.0% | 37.1% |
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
The NCES is the primary federal agency for collecting and analyzing education-related data. The Digest of Education Statistic published by the NCES contains tables covering the broad field of American education, including statistics on the public school’s special education services.
The IDEA can provide a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation. It ensures special education and related services to those children. To qualify for special education services, a child must have a disability in one of the thirteen categories, and the disability must “adversely affect” the child’s educational performance. The thirteen disability categories are defined under IDEA Sec. 300.8:4
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Deaf-Blindness
- Deafness
- Emotional Disturbance
- Hearing Impairment
- Intellectual Disability
- Multiple Disabilities
- Orthopedic Impairment
- Other Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
- Speech or Language Impairment
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Visual Impairment, including Blindness
Children 3 to 21 years old served under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B, by type of disability: Selected years, 2020-21
The education-related statistics supplied by the NCES will be most pertinent and helpful if you are a parent with school-age children or an educator. The SIPP offers better estimates for national-level use because of its large sample. ACS uses a relatively narrow definition of disability, but it is an annual survey. Thus, it provides current estimates on disability-related topics. The Annual Disability Statistics Compendium gives a more accurate picture of the size and makeup of the disability population, both on a national and state level.
So, which number is correct?
There is no right or wrong number. It all depends on your purpose and what definition of disability best suits your needs.
References
1 K201803: TYPES OF DISABILITIES – Census Bureau Table. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=disability%20by%20types&tid=ACSSE2017.K201803
2 Bureau, U. C. (n.d.). How Disability Data are Collected from The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Census.Gov. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.census.gov/topics/health/disability/guidance/data-collection-sipp.html
3 2021 Annual Disability Statistics Compendium. (n.d.). 183. Homepage | Annual Disability Statistics Compendium. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://disabilitycompendium.org/
4 Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability. (n.d.). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8