From our friends at Census.gov:
Thursday marked the 22nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.
The statistics below come from “Americans with Disabilities: 2010.”
Population Distribution
57 million
Number of people with a disability living in the United States in 2010. They represent 19 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population.
By age –
8 percent of children under 15 have disabilities.
21 percent of people 15 and older have disabilities.
17 percent of people 21 to 64 have disabilities.
50 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
20%
Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 17 percent of males. (When adjusted for the aging of the population, the disability rate was 18 percent for both males and females).
Specific Disabilities
8 million
Number of people 15 and older who have a hearing difficulty. Among people 65 and older, 4 million have difficulty hearing.
8 million
Number of people 15 and older with a vision difficulty.
31 million
Number of people 15 and older who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
4 million
Number of people who used a wheelchair to assist with mobility. This compares with 12 million people who used a cane, crutches or walker.
On the Job
41%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 with a disability who were employed.
28%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 with severe disabilities who were employed. This compares with 71 percent for individuals with nonsevere disabilities.
Income and Poverty
$1,961
Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with a disability, compared with $2,724 for those with no disability.
$1,577
Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with severe disabilities, while those with nonsevere disabilities had median monthly earnings of $2,402.
$2,838
Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with disabilities associated only with communication, including blindness or difficulty seeing, deafness or difficulty hearing, and difficulty having speech understood.
29%
Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who were in poverty, while 18 percent with nonsevere disabilities were in poverty.
Program Participation
59%
Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive public assistance. Thirty-three percent receive social security benefits. This compares with 9 percent of adults 15 to 64 with nonsevere disabilities that receive Social Security benefits.
28%
Percentage of adults with severe disabilities who receive food stamp benefits, compared with 8 percent for those with no disability.
11%
Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive public housing assistance. This compares with 9 percent of people 65 and older with severe disabilities.
Health Insurance
48%
Percentage of adults 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive government health coverage.
40%
Percentage of adults 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who have private health insurance coverage.
23%
Percentage of people with severe disabilities who receive Medicare coverage.
35%
Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive Medicaid, while 9 percent have dual coverage, receiving Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
21%
Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who were uninsured, not statistically different from the 21 percent of those with nonsevere disabilities.
Category: Data Analysis, Employment
Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor implied. If you could repeat previously discredited memes or steer the conversation into irrelevant, off topic discussions, it would be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.
This is a great example of a well-intentioned government program that has expanded well beyond its original intent, and is abused. Details here:
http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2012/04/autor_on_disabi.html
Oops! Posted that comment too quickly! I was referring of corse to SS disability insurance. No problem with ADA.
With all the gamesmanship about what is a “disability” how can we possibly consider this data meaningful. Let’s skip the politically correct yada and any bleeding heart yada and just all give each other the benefit of the doubt that no one should be such a son-of-a-bitch as to deny compassion and assistance to anyone truly in need. That being said, and with the cred that I am deep in the business of healthcare, I am appalled at the pussification of America. Morbidly obese idiots in powerchairs calling themselves disabled. People who find ordinary employment so stressful that they suddenly become dyslexic, depressed, unable to “concentrate” and, ta da, disabled. On a related note, government workers and union members grossly abuse their short-term disability policies so they can pamper themselves with weeks off work for even minor procedures. I recently remodeled an office space and had to make ridiculous “accomodations” for events that will never happen, e.g. multiple people in wheelchairs apparently having emergency bathroom needs all at once so that they couldn’t just go a few feet down the hall to an already ADA approved restroom. America is on the wrong path, and unfortunately it’s difficult to fight human nature. Government is supposed to pass laws that guide individual’s behavior for the public good. Instead government coddles constituents for their vote, and it’s unsustainable.
@WhyDoYouSayThat: So eager to post your troll-bait that you couldn’t get the topic right, eh? Nice.
But taking your posting and linked report by David Autor at face-value, the so-called ‘dependency’ of recipients in the SSDI system is akin to calling frail seniors receiving SSA ‘dependent’– as if no one in either category had ever contributed to the social insurance from which they’re receiving these benefits. FAIL.
The rise in ‘costs’ cited by Autor is mostly attributable to healthcare, which reflects the United States’ flawed systemic approach which is wedded to a profit-based, privatized system. Rather than address the fundamental problems with cost-containment in privatized delivery of healthcare, Autor would simply expand austerity to Medicare and Medicaid recipients. BIG FAT FAIL.
Now, compare WhyDoYouSayThat and Mr. Autor’s approach to masses with their overweening approach to the U.S. Treasury Department and Federal Reserve, whom have a ‘dependency’ relationship with recipients of their benefits, namely banks and other financial institutions to the tune of TRILLIONS $USD at 0.15% interest.* MEGA FAIL.
Am I the only one to see the ideological dichotomy here?
*http://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/omo/dmm/fedfundsdata.cfm
Is obesity considered a disability?
Is low IQ considered a disability? Because, you know, of course it is a disability and by definition 50% of the population is afflicted.
And what about the poor souls beset with low levels of moral fiber? Apparently we’re funneling them into positions of power so I guess the system is working as intended.
@rktbrkr:
Obesity IS considered a disability. How about if my “accomodation” is locking the disabled person in a room and feeding them through the door until they can get to work. Or how about bariatric surgery.
http://www.martindale.com/labor-employment-law/article_Foley-Lardner-LLP_1396842.htm
@ Clem Stone:
The definition of disabilty is BROAD:
SEC. 4. DISABILITY DEFINED AND RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
(a) DEFINITION OF DISABILITY.—Section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102) is amended to read as follows:
“SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF DISABILITY.
“As used in this Act:
“(1) DISABILITY.—The term ‘disability’ means, with respect to an individual—
“(A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities of such individual;
“(B) a record of such an impairment; or
“(C) being regarded as having such an impairment (as described in paragraph (3)).
“(2) MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITIES.—
“(A) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of paragraph (1), major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.
“(B) MAJOR BODILY FUNCTIONS.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a major life activity also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine, and reproductive functions.
“(3) REGARDED AS HAVING SUCH AN IMPAIRMENT.—For purposes of paragraph (1)(C):
“(A) An individual meets the requirement of ‘being regarded as having such an impairment’ if the individual establishes that he or she has been subjected to an action prohibited under this Act because of an actual or perceived physical or mental impairment whether or not the impairment limits or is perceived to limit a major life activity.
“(B) Paragraph (1)(C) shall not apply to impairments that are transitory and minor. A transitory impairment is an impairment with an actual or expected duration of 6 months or less.
“(4) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF DISABILITY.—The definition of ‘disability’ in paragraph (1) shall be construed in accordance with the following:
“(A) The definition of disability in this Act shall be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals under this Act, to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of this Act.
“(B) The term ‘substantially limits’ shall be interpreted consistently with the findings and purposes of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.
“(C) An impairment that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other major life activities in order to be considered a disability.
“(D) An impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active.
“(E)(i) The determination of whether an impairment substantially limits a major life activity shall be made without regard to the ameliorative effects of mitigating measures such as—
50% disabled over 65. How do you raise the retirement age?
Funny thing, when you cross the border into Canada there are no more handicapped parking spaces outside of every building.