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 | News | Updated
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
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.
Smallpox, Measles and Covid Vaccines - History and Safety
Learn the history and safety of smallpox, measles and Covid vaccines, including MMR and mRNA ingredients, debunked myths and why vaccination protects others. Published: 6 Oct 2026.
Teen Founder Builds Four Accessible Technology Platforms
A 16-year-old founder explains how Scholark, Capital Mastery, DataShadow, and OpenLens apply accessibility, informed consent, and user control to tech design. Published: 30 Sep 2026.
Family Support After Spinal Cord Injury Rehab Discharge
A first-person account of 38 years with a cervical spinal cord injury, showing how families, carers and assistive technology shape long-term support after rehab. Published: 27 Sep 2026.
Neuralese Recurrence: Wordless AI Thought and Disability
Neuralese recurrence explained: how AI models reason in hidden vectors instead of words, why it worries safety researchers, and what disability research shows. Published: 25 Sep 2026.
Opera Praktikos Premieres ASL and Bel Canto La Sonnambula
Opera Praktikos premieres an interabled La Sonnambula merging American Sign Language with Bellini bel canto opera at National Sawdust in Brooklyn on November 18. Published: 24 Sep 2026.
Newly Updated Pages
Notable Figures with Hearing Impairments Who Made History: Discover famous people with hearing impairments who have shaped history, proving that deafness is no barrier to remarkable achievement and innovation.
Accessible Games Websites for Blind and Disabled Players: Accessible games websites for blind, low vision and disabled players, with free audio games, text-based games and updated notes on which sites still operate.
Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda: 2026: Tracking the 2026 Bundibugyo virus outbreak across DR Congo and Uganda, with dated WHO figures on confirmed cases, deaths, case fatality rates, and response.
Arthritis in Veterans and the U.S. Military: Data and Care: Arthritis affects about one in three U.S. veterans - current data on osteoarthritis in the military, combat joint injury, VA ratings, research and care.