Disability Statistics

• According to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, 54 million Americans (31%) are living with a disability (Cornell University's Disability Statistics FAQ).
• According to the 2007 American Community Survey, 5,033,000 Americans (2.9%) have a sensory disability, such as blindness or deafness (ibid.).
• 13,789,000 Americans (7.9%) have a physical disability (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• 8,273,000 Americans (4.7%) have a mental disability (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• 4,056,000 Americans (2.3%) have a disability that hinders their self-care (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• 5,931,000 Americans (3.4%) have a disability that hinders their ability to go outside their home (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• 13,297,000 Americans (7.6%) have a disability that hinders their employment (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• 16,400,000 white Americans (12.6%) reported a disability, compared to 3,475,000 African-Americans (17%), 532,000 Asian-Americans (6.3%), and 304,000 Native Americans (22.5%). 2,492,000 Hispanics of all races (10%) reported a disability (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• Among those Americans over 65, 14,730,000 (40.7%) reported a disability. This contrasts to 22,295,000 individuals (12.8%) between 21 and 64 years of age and 4,282,000 individuals (6.5%) between 5 and 20 years of age (2007 ACS, ibid.).
• Of non-institutionalized civilians ages 18-64 who report a work-limiting health problem or disability and who are seeking work, 14.1 percent are unemployed.
  This is three times larger than the unemployment rate in the general population, which is 5.8 percent (2002 Current Population Survey, cited in Cornell's FAQ).

Source: Houtenville, Andrew J. 2009. "Disability Statistics in the United States." Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, www.disabilitystatistics.org. Posted May 15, 2003. Accessed February 18, 2009.