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
Wheelchair Right to Repair: Film on Open-Source Chairs
Respect America film on disability advocate Thomas Quiter and his push for open-source power wheelchairs that users can repair locally, releasing October 16. Published: 13 Oct 2026.
Vincent van Gogh: What Reproduction Cannot Preserve
An artist's essay on why Vincent van Gogh's original paintings and drawings reveal brushstroke, texture, and scale that digital reproductions cannot preserve. Published: 11 Oct 2026.
What Is a Doula? Birth Support, Disability, and Access
Learn what a doula is, what doulas do before, during, and after birth, and why continuous support matters for disabled parents and their care teams. Published: 10 Oct 2026.
SnapSlide: One-Handed Child-Resistant Prescription Vial
SnapSlide, a one-handed child-resistant prescription vial for people with arthritis, stroke, Parkinson’s, or limited dexterity, is now at pharmacies nationwide. Published: 10 Oct 2026.
How Disabled Veterans in New York Can Improve Finances
How disabled veterans in New York can improve their finances through PACT Act disability ratings, 55-b and 55-c state jobs, and relocation to stronger economies. Published: 9 Oct 2026.
Beethoven's Hearing Loss and the Architecture of Feedback
Beethoven's progressive hearing loss stripped away the feedback his composing and performing relied on, while notation, memory, and sketches kept his work going. Published: 8 Oct 2026.
Newly Updated Pages
Pain in Children: Pediatric Pain Facts, Signs and Care: Chronic pain affects about 1 in 5 children - pediatric pain facts, signs of pain in children, risks for newborns and kids with disabilities, and treatment.
Medical School Curricula Neglect Disability, Study Finds: Peer-reviewed research shows medical school curricula often neglect disability, frame it as a problem and fuel ableism that leaves doctors unprepared for care.
Types of Arthritis: List of Conditions and Treatments: List of nearly 170 types of arthritis and related joint conditions with U.S. prevalence statistics and treatments for osteoarthritis, RA and osteoporosis.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Types, Symptoms and Treatment: Osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, is a genetic collagen disorder that causes fragile bones, blue sclerae, hearing loss and short stature.