2009 U.S. Disability Statistics and Facts

Author: U.S. Census Bureau
Published: 2011/07/26 - Updated: 2025/04/06
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Data & Statistical Analysis
Topic: Disability Statistics - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This report provides a comprehensive overview of disability statistics in the United States, drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. It highlights key figures such as the prevalence of disabilities across age groups, types of disabilities, employment patterns, income disparities, and educational attainment among individuals with disabilities. For example, 12% of the U.S. population has at least one disability, with higher rates among seniors (37%) compared to younger age groups. Additionally, the report examines geographic variations in disability prevalence and offers insights into challenges faced by disabled individuals in areas like poverty rates and workforce participation. This information is particularly valuable for policymakers, researchers, advocates, and individuals seeking to understand the societal impact of disabilities and address inequities - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

On July 26th 19 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act became effective. Signed into law two years earlier, the goal was to guarantee equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public and commercial facilities.

Main Item

The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.

Quick Facts:

• There are 36 million people who have at least one disability, about 12 percent of the total U.S. population.
• Those with vision difficulties number 6.5 million, while 19.4 million have problems walking or climbing stairs.
• Another 13.5 million have difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.

Population Distribution:

• 36 million - Number of people who have a disability. They represent 12 percent of the civilian non-institutionalized population.

By age:

• 5 percent of children 5 to 17 have disabilities.
• 10 percent of people 18 to 64 have disabilities.
• 37 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
• 12.3% - Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 11.6 percent of males.
• 18.8% - Percentage of people with a disability in West Virginia, highest of all states. Utah has the lowest with 8.9 percent of its residents reporting a disability.

Specific Disabilities:

• 10.2 million - Number of people who have a hearing difficulty. Of these, 5.8 million are 65 and older.
• 6.5 million - Number of people with a vision difficulty.
• 13.5 million - Number of people 5 and older who have difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions. Of these, 2.1 million are children 5 to 17 years of age.
• 19.4 million - Number of people 5 and older who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

On the Job:

• 6% - Percentage of disabled workers 16 and older who use public transportation to commute to work. In addition, 70 percent of people with a disability drive alone, 13 percent carpool, 4 percent walk and 3 percent use a taxicab, motorcycle, bicycle or other means.
• 22% - Percentage of disabled workers 16 and older who work in the educational services and health care and social assistance industries, the highest of any industry.

Income and Poverty:

• 21% - Percent of the population age 16 and older with a disability that are below the poverty level. Eleven percent of the population age 16 and older without a disability are below the poverty level.
• 72% - Percentage of disabled people 16 and older who are not in the labor force. Twenty-seven percent of people without a disability are not in the labor force.
• $18,865 - Median earnings of the population age 16 and older with a disability, this compares with $28,983 for the population without a disability.

Serving Our Nation:

• $35.3 billion - Amount of compensation veterans received for service-connected disabilities in fiscal year 2008.

Education:

• 28% - Percentage of people 25 and older with a disability who have less than a high school graduate education. This compares with 12 percent for those with no disability.
• 13% - Percentage of people 25 and older with a disability who have a bachelor's degree or higher. This compares with 31 percent for those with no disability.

Source

2009 American Community Survey.

The preceding data was collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by U.S. Census Bureau and published on 2011/07/26, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, U.S. Census Bureau can be contacted at census.gov NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.