Survey Shows 40% of People with a Disability go to the Movies

According to the 2003 Survey of Disability, aging and Carers, one in five people in Australia reported that they had a disability which restricted their everyday activities and which had lasted, or was expected to last, for at least six months.

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The proportion of people with a disability attending cultural events barely changed between 1998 and 2003.

In comparison to attendance at cultural events, 29 percent of people with a disability attended sporting events as a spectator, and 28 percent took part in sport or physical recreation. Over one-quarter of people with a disability did not take part in any cultural or sporting activities.

Young people with a disability were more likely to attend cultural venues than older people with a disability.

According to the 2003 survey, 87 percent of children aged 5-14 years with a disability had attended a cultural venue or event, compared to only 47 percent of people aged 75 years and over.

Specifically, the largest difference was for cinema attendance, where 68 percent of children attended compared with 20 percent of people over 75 years.

The smallest difference was for theaters or concerts where 23 percent of children attended, compared to 19 percent of people over 75 years.

Overall, women with a disability attended more cultural venues or events than men. The difference was most noticeable for theaters or concerts with 29 percent of women attending compared to 22 percent of men.

References:

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Survey of Disability, aging and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2003 (cat. no. 4430.0).

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Disability, aging and Carers, Australia: Summary of Findings, 2003.

Australia Council, Don't give up your day job: An Economic Study of Professional Artists in Australia (Throsby and Hollister 2003).

Australia Council, 2005, Artswork2: a report on Australians working in the arts.

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4114.0).

Cultural Ministers Council Statistics Working Group, Cultural Participation by Persons with a Disability and Older Persons, 2003.

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2007, Participation and Attendance (cat. no. 4172.0).

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.