REHAB       Bringing Research into
BRIEF       Effective Focus

Vol. XIV, No. 8 (1993)                            ISSN: 0732-2623

    NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH
       OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
           DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202

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                      DISABILITY STATISTICS

"It is clear to most of us within the disability research
community that there is a serious need for more and better data
about people with disabilities in the United States. We need
better information about the nature of disabling conditions and
their social and economic consequences, both to guide policy and
programmatic decisions as well as to enrich our understanding of
disability. We need to know more about demographic trends, the
impact of impairments on employment and the range of life
functions, the ways in which people with disabilities participate
(or not) in public and private programs, and the values and
attitudes of disabled and nondisabled people about disability."

Richard L. Scotch, "The Politics of Disability Statistics." In
Zola (Ed.), Disability Studies Quarterly, Summer 1990, Vol. 10,
No. 3.



How many people with disability are there in the United States?

This question is often asked by legislative offices, policy
analysts, researchers, and newspaper reporters, as they address
public policy issues. Information specialists in government or in
disability statistics research and analysis organizations have
difficulty responding in a straightforward way, because there is
no simple, single answer to this question.

In many other policy areas, the measures that indicate that an
individual is a member of a particular population or group can be
more clearly understood: our age qualifies us for public school
benefits, for retirement programs. Gender or race may make us
eligible for various programs and funds. The same is true for
individual or household income levels. But individuals who have
worked in the area of disability are well aware that the
definition of the term, and therefore the statistics on the size
of the population  of individuals with disability, depend on
various program statistics serving selected eligible people, on
information collected in surveys addressing broad social
purposes, or on interpretations of data designed to achieve
particular programmatic purposes.

As the sidebar shows, there are many different answers, and the
magnitude varies. What is important is the appropriate measure,
given the specific use for the data. Advocates may adopt larger,
general numbers, like the 43 million number used in the Americans
With Disabilities Act (ADA), to emphasize the extent of the
disability policy issue. Someone doing a marketing study before
investing in a business development plan aimed at a specific
limitation or condition will need much more specific information
on the population with particular limitations or needs.

Disability statistics has been a specialty for a few researchers
and public policy analysts; with the Americans

With Disabilities Act and other disability rights legislation,
the use of these statistics and numbers is becoming more common.
But sometimes the statistics are misused and can be misleading.

This _Rehab BRIEF_ summarizes information sources for current
disability statistics and describes efforts to develop better
answers to policy questions. Disability is an important issue in
public policy, requiring that we make better use of the existing
information on prevalence of disability and that we address gaps
in our knowledge.

AN ISSUE OF DEFINITIONS

The definition of disability is a crucial issue. Disability has
been used to mean everything from a minor impairment that has no
or little impact on activity to a condition that requires one to
rely on others for assistance in life's most basic functions.
There is no OK accepted definition of disability.

Asking a question such as Are you disabled? could elicit many
responses, depending on the particular individual's definition of
disability. To some, it may mean using a wheelchair. To others,
the inability to do a specific task or activity. Or, it may imply
a health condition. National surveys and programs serving people
with disability use specific stated definitions or terms, but
each program or survey uses definitions addressing its specific
purposes. The concept measured by a given survey or
administrative data system may be limitation of activity,
limitation in function, need personal assistance, chronic
condition, or others.

Choice of the way to define disability is more than a semantic
issue. The definition determines who is included in the concept
and who is not. If entitlements, such as Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI), are tied to


definition of disability, there are cost-containment issues in
determining the limits of the population. On the other hand,
larger numbers may be more effective in advocacy efforts. The
definition thus directly impacts the statistical estimates of
people with disability. The range of estimates varies depending
on the source of the data and the concept measured.

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BEGINNING OF SIDEBAR 
Selected Disability Statistics 
- 37.3 million (20.6%) of persons over 15 have a selected