Disability News, Benefits, and Health Resources
Seventy million American adults live with a disability. Another 1.3 billion people worldwide (about the combined population of Europe and North America) share that experience, roughly 16 percent of the global population. Disabled World (DW), also known to many readers as Disability World, reports on the policies, research, benefits, and assistive technology that shape their lives. Coverage centers on the United States: Social Security and SSI payments, Medicare and Medicaid rules, accessibility law, and medical research relevant to American readers. International stories appear where they intersect with American policy or practice. Disabled World has been publishing since 2004 under the banner Towards Tomorrow. Learn more about us.
"Disability is the only minority group that anyone can join at any time." - a widely shared saying in the disability community, often attributed to American comedian Josh Blue.
Did You Know:
- 1 - Autism diagnoses have risen dramatically: about 1 in 31 eight-year-old children (3.2 percent) were identified with autism in 2022 CDC surveillance data, up from 1 in 36 in 2020 and just 1 in 150 when the CDC first began tracking it among children born in the early 1990s.
- 2 - Disability rises sharply with age: about 8.7 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 report a disability, climbing to 43.9 percent among adults aged 65 and older.
- 3 - Childhood disability tracks closely with family income - 18 percent of U.S. children in families below the poverty level report a disability, compared with 11 percent of children in families at or above 200 percent of the poverty level. View more Disability Statistics.
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Popular Pages
- Disability Loans and Grants: Financial assistance programs available for low-income families, seniors, and disabled students.
- Famous People with Disabilities: Lists of well-known people with various disabilities and conditions who contributed to society.
- Awareness Ribbon Colors: Guide to awareness ribbon colors for health, medical conditions, disability, and other causes.
- Adult Height to Weight Chart: Ideal weight-to-height ratio for adult females and males.
- Child to Teen Height to Weight Ratio Charts: Average height-to-weight ratios for children and teens organized by age.
Recent Disability News and Information
Where Disabled Veterans Prefer to Live in New York State
How internal migration draws disabled veterans to Rockland, Westchester, Bronx, Manhattan and Kings counties, and why local economies and social policy matter. Published: 13 Sep 2026.
Cane Colors and Patterns That Signal Vision or Hearing Loss
What white, red and white striped, and green canes signal about blindness, low vision, and deafblindness, plus the history and laws behind each color. Published: 11 Sep 2026.
Christian Nationalism and Disability: A History of Harm
How Christian nationalism and organized religion have harmed disabled Americans, from eugenics sermons and church ADA exemptions to modern ableism. Published: 11 Sep 2026.
Epistemology and Disability: How We Know What We Know
An authoritative guide to epistemology, the study of knowledge, and how disability reshapes ideas about evidence, testimony and epistemic injustice. Published: 10 Sep 2026.
TMVII Ringworm: The New Sexually Spread Fungal Infection
Facts on TMVII ringworm, an emerging sexually transmitted fungal skin infection - how it differs from normal ringworm, symptoms, spread, and treatment. Published: 10 Sep 2026.
Living With Bipolar Disorder and OCD: A Life Story
A personal account of living undiagnosed for years with bipolar disorder and OCD, covering diagnosis, work struggles, disability, stigma, and family life. Published: 9 Sep 2026.
Newly Updated Pages
The Disability Foundation of Vancouver and Its Societies: An overview of the Disability Foundation of Vancouver, founded by Sam Sullivan, and its six affiliated societies serving people with disabilities in Canada.
Disability Justice and Climate Disaster Preparedness: Peer-reviewed analysis of how disaster and climate policies overlook disabled people, with case studies and questions for building disability justice.
New Book Shares Stories of Entrepreneurs with Disabilities: A new book, Trailblazing and Transforming, shares the success stories of twelve disabled entrepreneurs who overcame systemic barriers in the business world.
Disabled World Community Information for People with Disabilities: An overview of the Disabled World online community, a free international resource offering news, forums, dating, and support for people with disabilities and seniors.
The Disability Pride Flag: Colors and Their Meaning: Explore the Disability Pride Flag, what each stripe color represents, why the 2021 redesign improved accessibility, and how the flag unites the community.