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Facts about Disability
Contents:
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Number of People with Disabilities
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Americans with
disabilities:
52.6 million (1997)
56 million (2002)
Of the 52.6 million (1997), people with
a severe
disability:
33 million
Populations Age 15 years and over with disabilities (1997):
People with hearing
impairments:
8 million
People who use a hearing
aid:
4 million
People who are
deaf:
832,000
People who are blind or severely vision
impaired: 1.8
million
People who have difficulty reading ordinary
newspaper print even with
glasses
7.7 million
People with
epilepsy:
2 million
Note: Four out of five people with epilepsy
do not have seizures as they take medication.
People who use a
wheelchair:
2.2 million
People who use a cane, crutches, or
walker:
6.4 million
People who have difficulty climbing
stairs/walking:
25 million
People who have difficulty lifting 10 pounds
or grasping small
objects:
18 million
People with mental
retardation:
1.4 million
People with a specific learning
disability:
3.5 million
People with speech
impairments:
2.2 million
People who have a mental/emotional
condition:
3.5 million
People who rely on public
transportation:
25 million
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Americans with
Disabilities, 1997.
To view the full report, visit the web site: Americans
with Disabilities,1997
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Onset of Disability
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Age 0 -
19
24%
Age 20 -
39
27%
Age 40 -
55
28%
After age
55
21%
Source: 2000 National Organization on
Disability/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities.
For more information, contact: National
Organization on Disability
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Workforce Participation Data
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Unemployment rate for working-age adults with
disabilities:
67% (1997)
Unemployment rate for working-age adults with
disabilities (2002):
70% (2002)
People aged 18-64 with disabilities who are
employed:
32%
People without disabilities who are
employed:
82%
People with disabilities who want to
work:
72%
People who are limited in the amount or type of work they can
do:
34.1%
People who say they are unable to work due to their
disability:
5.6%
People who are not prevented from working at a
job:
81.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Americans with
Disabilities, 1997.
To view the full report, visit the web site: Americans
with Disabilities,1997
________________________________________
Among people with disabilities employed:
People who say their jobs require them to use their full talents
and abilities: 40%
People who say their jobs require only a small amount or almost none of
their full talents and
abilities:
20%
People who say they have encountered some form of discrimination
in the
workplace:
36%
Of those 36% who have experienced discrimination, the percent of
people who say they have been refused a job due to
their disabilities: 51%
Other forms of discrimination include:
People denied a workplace
accommodation:
40%
People given less responsibility than
co-workers:
32%
People paid less than similar
co-workers:
29%
People refused a job
promotion:
28%
People refused a job
interview:
22%
Source: 2000 National Organization on
Disability/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities.
For further information, contact: National
Organization on Disability
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Occupations of Workers with Disabilities
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Occupations of Workers with Disabilities - U.S.
Census Bureau, 1991-92
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Total People Employed in the U.S. =
119,997,000 = 100% |
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Total People with Disabilities Employed in the
U.S. = 16,064,000 |
Occupations
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With No Disability
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With a Disability
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| Executive and administrative |
8,224,000 |
995,000 |
| Management related |
3,185,000 |
306,000 |
| Engineers, architects, surveyors |
1,610,000 |
195,000 |
| Math and computer scientists |
890,000 |
126,000 |
| Natural scientists |
417,000 |
31,000 |
| Physicians, dentists, health diagnosing |
349,000 |
20,000 |
| Registered nurses |
1,631,000 |
166,000 |
| Pharmacists |
153,000 |
22,000 |
| Other health assessment and treating |
481,000 |
39,000 |
| Postsecondary teachers |
765,000 |
104,000 |
| Teachers |
3,835,000 |
411,000 |
| Counselors (educational and vocational) |
256,000 |
28,000 |
| Librarians, archivists, curators |
176,000 |
29,000 |
| Social scientists, urban planners |
263,000 |
37,000 |
| Social, recreation, religious workers |
911,000 |
178,000 |
| Lawyers, judges |
489,000 |
21,000 |
| Writers, artists, entertainers, athletes |
1,049,000 |
150,000 |
| Health technologists and technicians |
1,149,000 |
181,000 |
| Engineering technologists and technicians |
949,000 |
149,000 |
| Science technicians |
252,000 |
37,000 |
| Computer programmers |
439,000 |
30,000 |
| Other technicians (except hlth, engin, science) |
743,000 |
61,000 |
| Sales supervisors and proprietors |
2,480,000 |
354,000 |
| Sales representatives (finance and bus. srvs) |
1,322,000 |
132,000 |
| Sales representatives (commodities -not retail) |
1,446,000 |
149,000 |
| Sales workers (retail and personal services) |
5,827,000 |
803,000 |
| Supervisors (administrative support) |
758,000 |
147,000 |
| Computer equipment operators |
704,000 |
95,000 |
| Secretaries, stenos, typists |
4,432,000 |
493,000 |
| Information clerks |
1,432,000 |
179,000 |
| Records processing (except financial) |
702,000 |
96,000 |
| Financial records processing |
1,950,000 |
271,000 |
| Office and communications equip. operators |
267,000 |
52,000 |
| Mail and message distributing |
742,000 |
91,000 |
| Material recording, sched., distributing clerks |
1,662,000 |
287,000 |
| Misc. administrative support |
3,264,000 |
435,000 |
| Private household |
382,000 |
97,000 |
| Firefighting, fire prevention |
251,000 |
14,000 |
| Police, detectives |
775,000 |
82,000 |
| Food preparation and service |
5,448,000 |
813,000 |
| Health service |
2,080,000 |
414,000 |
| Cleaning, building service (except household) |
2,495,000 |
669,000 |
| Personal service |
1,570,000 |
304,000 |
| Farm, forestry, fishing, and related |
1,734,000 |
380,000 |
| Mechanics, repairers |
3,467,000 |
603,000 |
| Construction trades |
3,243,000 |
484,000 |
| Supervisors (production operations) |
1,088,000 |
177,000 |
| Precision working |
1,856,000 |
319,000 |
| Plant and system operations |
275,000 |
38,000 |
| Machine operators |
4,511,000 |
855,000 |
| Fabricators, assemblers, hand working |
1,675,000 |
313,000 |
| Production inspectors, testers, and related |
728,000 |
152,000 |
| Motor vehicle operators |
3,185,000 |
507,000 |
| Rail and water transportation |
155,000 |
41,000 |
| Material moving equipment operators |
928,000 |
187,000 |
| Handlers, equip. cleaners, helpers, laborers |
4,451,000 |
768,000 |
Note: Disability was defined as having a non-severe or a severe
disability involving difficulty or inability in performing functional
activities, activities of daily living, or instrumental activities, used a
wheelchair, had used a cane or similar aid for six months or longer, or had a
developmental disability or a mental or emotional disability.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau - Americans with
Disabilities:
1991-92.
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Employers Reactions to Workers with Disabilities
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Over 900 managers were interviewed by the Harris Poll, and they
had this to say about people with disabilities who worked for them:
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19 out of 20 managers give employees with disabilities a
"good" or "excellent"
rating on their job performance. They say employees with
disabilities work as
hard or harder than their employees who do not have disabilities.
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39% of line managers rate employees with disabilities as
better on attendance
and punctuality than non-disabled employees, and 40% rate them about the
same.
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The average cost of hiring people with disabilities is the
same as hiring people
without a disability, according to 75% of the employers surveyed.
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However, only 43% of EEO officers say that their companies
have hired people
with disabilities.
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3 out of every 4 managers say that people with
disabilities often encounter
discrimination from employers. |
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Cost of Accommodation
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According to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a service of
the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, the
accommodation costs reported by businesses that used JAN:
Accommodation Costs Reported:
No
cost
19%
Between $1 and
$500
50%
Between $501 and
$1,000
12%
Between $1,001 and
$2,000
7%
Between $2,001 and
$5,000
9%
Greater than
$5,000
3%
Company Savings Because Accommodations were Made:
Value
unknown
4%
Between $1 and
$5,000
34%
Between $5,001 and
$10,000
16%
Between $10,000 and
$20,000
19%
Between $20,001 and
$100,000
25%
Greater than
$100,000
2%
For further information, contact: Job
Accommodation Network (JAN)
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Types of Accommodation
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Based on a study by The Urban Institute in Washington, DC,
people with disabilities who were working and those not working stated a need
for similar types of accommodation. One-third of non-working people with
disabilities reported the need for some type of accommodation. The other
two-thirds could work without accommodation or were unaware of specific
accommodations that might make work possible.
The most common accommodations cited were:
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Accessible parking or accessible public transit stop
nearby:
19%
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Need for an
elevator:
17%
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Adaptations to work
station:
15%
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Special work arrangements (reduction in work hours,
reduced or part-time hours, job
redesign):
12%
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Handrails or
ramps:
10.4%
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Job
coach:
5.6%
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Specific office
supplies:
4.5%
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Personal
assistant:
4.0%
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Braille, enlarged print, special lighting, or audio
tape:
2.5%
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Voice synthesizer, TTY, infrared system, or other
technical device:
1.8%
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Reader, oral or sign language
interpreter:
1.8% |
Source: "Barriers and Supports for Work Among
Adults with Disabilities: Results from
the NHIS-D," Pamela Loprest and Elaine Maag, January 2001, The Urban
Institute, Washington, DC.
Statistics about People with Disabilities and Employment, U.S. Department
of
Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.
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Rates of Hiring and Making Accommodations by Employers
and
Identified Barriers to Employment and Advancement
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Cornell University conducted two research initiatives to examine
employer practices in response to the employment provisions of Title I of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation. Cornell
interviewed by phone a random sample of human resource and EEO personnel from
the public and private sectors. Following are several key findings.
The percentage of employers who stated they had made
accommodations in these areas:
Accommodation
Private Sector Percent Public
Sector Percent
Made facilities
accessible
82
93
Had flexible human resource
policy
79
93
Restructured jobs / work
hours
69
87
Made transportation
accommodations
67
86
Provided written job
instructions
64
69
Modified work
environment
62
93
Modified
equipment
59
90
Made reassignment to vacant posistion
46
58
Provided readers and
interpreters
36
79
Changed supervisory
methods
35
55
Modified training
material
31
49
Types of Access Provided People with Disabilities
Wheelchair
access
82
95
Time flexibility in test
taking
45
39
Communication access for hearing
impaired
43
91
Communication access for visually
impaired
37
77
Removing volatile or scented
substance
32
48
Identified Barriers to Employment and Advancement for People
with Disabilities
Respondents were asked to rate seven possible barriers to
employment and advancement of people with disabilities. Lack of related
experience was seen as the biggest barrier by both the public and private sector
employers.
Barriers
Private Sector Percent
Public Sector Percent
Lack of related
experience
49
53
Lack of required skills /
training
39
45
Supervisor knowledge of
accommodation
31
34
Attitudes / stereotypes
22
43
Cost of
accommodations
16
19
Cost of
supervision
12
10
Cost of
training
9
11
Effective Ways of Reducing Employment and Advancement
Barriers
Visible top management
commitment
81
90
Staff
training
32
71
Mentoring
59
71
On-site consultation / technical assistance
58
71
Short-term outside
assistance
41
43
Employer tax incentives/special
budgets
26
69
Source: "Disability Employment Policies
and Practices in Private and Federal
Sector Organizations," Susanne M. Bruyère, March 2000, Cornell University,
Program on Employment and
Disability, School of Industrial and Labor
Relations, Extension Division.
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Cost of Maintaining People with Disabilities Who are
Excluded from the Workforce
|
 People with
disabilities receiving benefits under Federal
programs: 7.5 million
Source: "New Freedom
Initiative," President George W. Bush.
People receiving
public assistance age 22 to 64:
No Disability Non-Severe
Disability Severe
Disability
Received public assistance
6,415,000
1,337,000
5,221,000
Cash
2,323,000
620,000
4,182,000
Food
assistance
4,531,000
1,017,000
2,713,000
Rent
assistance
2,538,000
516,000
1,294,000
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 1994-95
People receiving
public assistance age 25 - 64:
No Disability
Severe Disability
Received Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
-------
20.3% - 8.1 million
Cash
assistance
1.2%
5.8%
Food
stamps
2.1%
16.2%
Lived in public or subsidized
housing
1.9%
9.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Americans with
Disabilities, 1997.
In FY 1987, about
$28.2 billion in benefits were paid out to non-working people
with disabilities of working age by Social
Security. In FY 2000, about $55 billion
in benefits were paid out to non-working people
with disabilities of working age
by Social Security alone.
Source: Social Security Administration
"The cost of
maintaining people with disabilities who cannot find jobs is staggering.
In FY 1970, total disability expenditures
amounted to $19.3 billion dollars. By 1986,
these expenditures had increased
cumulatively by 779 percent to $169.4 billion.
This includes Social Security Disability
Insurance, Supplemental Security Income
from Social Security, workers'
compensation, welfare, and greatly increased private
transfer payments which reflect claims of
individuals injured on the job. Other
estimates are higher."
Source: President's Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities,
Washington, DC. (This is a former Committee. Programs under the
President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
have been moved to the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the
U.S. Department of Labor).
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Other Facts
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Household:
Adults with disabilities living in a household with an annual
income
of less than
$15,000:
33%
Adults without disabilities living in a household with an annual income
of less than
$15,000:
12%
People with disabilities who own
homes:
Fewer than 10%
People without disabilities who own
homes:
71%
People with disabilities who own a
computer:
25%
People without disabilities who own a
computer:
66%
People with disabilities who have access to the
Internet:
20%
People without disabilities who have access to the
Internet:
40%
Source: "New Freedom
Initiative," President George W. Bush.
Education:
People with severe disabilities 25 to 64 years old who:
Did not finish high
school:
32.6%
Non-disabled who did not finish high
school: 10.7%
Had some
college:
23.2%
Graduated from
college:
9.4%
Non-disabled who graduated from
college: 28.5%
Income:
People with a limitation in seeing had an employment rate of
41.5% and a median
earning of $16,791.
People with a mental disability had an employment rate of 37%
and median earning of
$13,534.
People who had experienced difficulty finding a job or remaining
employed had an
employment rate of 21.1% and a median earning of $7,975.
Individual Income:
Severe Disability
Not Severe
Less than
$20,000
80.2%
50.1%
$20,000 to
$39,999
14.0%
31.8%
$40,000 to
$59,999
3.6%
11.3%
$60,000 to
$79,999
1.4%
3.7%
$80,000 and
over
0.9%
3.0%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Americans with
Disabilities, 1997.
To view the full report, see the web site: Americans
with Disabilities, 1997
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