U.S. Census Bureau Facts for Features: Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act: July 26

WASHINGTON, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This day marks the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.

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Population Distribution

36 million

Number of people who have a disability. They represent 12 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized 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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

12.3%

Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 11.6 percent of males.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

Specific Disabilities

10.2 million

Number of people who have a hearing difficulty. Of these, 5.8 million are 65 and older.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

6.5 million

Number of people with a vision difficulty.  

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

19.4  million

Number of people 5 and older who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

$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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

Serving Our Nation

$35.3 billion

Amount of compensation veterans received for service-connected disabilities in fiscal year 2008.

Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2011, Table 521 http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/

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.

Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov

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 http://factfinder.census.gov

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau's Facts for Features series:

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: [email protected].

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau