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.
Jump To: News | Popular | Updated
Recent Disability News and Information
MTA Settlement Improves NY Subway Elevator Outage Access
Disability advocates reach a class action settlement with the MTA requiring better signage, announcements, and alerts for New York subway elevator outages. Published: 31 Jul 2026.
Loneliness as a Public Health Crisis and Companionship
The WHO links loneliness to about 871,000 deaths a year, with teens most affected - a look at companionship as low-cost prevention. Published: 28 Jul 2026.
Wheel Talk Podcast: Disabled Voices and Rare Disease
A podcast hosted by two friends with an ultra-rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, sharing honest conversations about disability and lived experience. Published: 27 Jul 2026.
George Mendoza: Blind Artist and Spirit Man Novelist
Profile of George Mendoza, the blind New Mexico artist, author of the Spirit Man novels, and Smithsonian affiliated exhibitor of Colors of the Wind. Published: 25 Jul 2026.
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.
Newly Updated Pages
Neutral Networks: Tracking 100,000 RNA Ribozyme Mutants: Researchers provide the first experimental evidence of a neutral network by testing over 120,000 ligase ribozyme mutants, showing how RNA gains diversity.
United Spinal Sues MTA Over Inaccessible NYC Subways: United Spinal Association sues the MTA under the ADA over inaccessible NYC subway stations, alleging failed elevator and ramp funding during renovations.
NYC Subway Accessibility Settlement Approved by Courts: Courts grant final approval to a settlement requiring the MTA to make 95% of NYC subway stations wheelchair accessible with elevators and ramps by 2055.
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA): Nonprofit Legal Center: Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is a nonprofit legal center using litigation and negotiation to protect civil rights and accessibility for disabled people.