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
Political Ideology Shapes Religious Exemption Views
Research finds Americans judge religious exemption requests by political alignment, supporting claims that match their own ideology and doubting those that do not. Published: 31 Aug 2026.
Möbius Strip and Disability: Metaphor, Meaning, Uses
How the one-sided Möbius strip works as a metaphor for the social model of disability, dissolving the line between body, impairment, and society. Published: 31 Aug 2026.
Digital Accessibility Must Preserve the State of Our Work
Why digital accessibility must go beyond interface conformance to preserve procedural state, delivery status and case history for disabled and older users. Published: 28 Aug 2026.
The Healthy Eating Index: Diet Quality and Disability
An authoritative guide to the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), how its 13 food components are scored, and what the research shows about diet quality and disability. Published: 22 Aug 2026.
New Insights Into Autism and the Brain's Dopamine System
Researchers combined three advanced brain scans in 60 adults and found more dopamine D2 receptors in autistic people, indicating dopamine's role in autism. Published: 21 Aug 2026.
Far-UVC at 222 nm: Safety, Evidence and Why It Waits
How 222 nm far-UVC germicidal light works, the evidence for reducing airborne pathogens, its safety limits, and why the fixtures stay rare. Published: 17 Aug 2026.
Newly Updated Pages
Jess's Rule Explained: NHS Three Strikes Diagnosis Reform: An analysis of Jess's Rule, the NHS three strikes and rethink policy launched in September 2025 to speed up diagnosis of serious conditions like cancer.
Europe 2024 Heatwave Deaths Reach Over 62,700 in Study: ISGlobal research in Nature Medicine estimates over 62,700 heat-related deaths across Europe in summer 2024, with women and older adults most affected.
Route 66 Accessible Travel Guide for Disabled Visitors: A firsthand account of accessible Route 66 travel to the Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, and Petrified Forest, with tips for disabled visitors and free park passes.
Route 66 Accessible Travel Guide to the Mother Road: Explore historic Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, a drivable Mother Road trip with over 250 National Register sites accessible for seniors and travelers.
York For Your Convenience City Accessibility Scheme: Discover how York's For Your Convenience scheme and 55 local partners provide free seating and accessible toilets for disabled visitors in the city center.