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Americans with Disabilities: 1994-95

Household Economic Studies
Current Population Reports P70-61
Americans With Disabilities: 1994-95
By John M. McNeil

The passage of the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) brought with it an increased awareness of the need to monitor the situation of people with disabilities. Perhaps the most important current source of periodic data on the number and characteristics of people with disabilities is the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). The extensive information collected in SIPP makes it possible to relate disability status to a range of other variables, including income, employment, health insurance coverage, and the receipt of program benefits.

The estimates in this report are based on data collected in the SIPP during the period October 1994 -January 1995. Data from the 1993 panel were combined with data from the 1992 panel to maximize the size of the sample. The universe for this study excludes people living in institutions. This report updates an earlier report, "Americans With Disabilities:1991-92", Series P70-33.

• At the end of 1994, 20.6 (+/- 0.3) percent of the population, about 54 (+/- 0.7) million people, had some level of disability; 9.9 (+/-0.2) percent, or 26 (+/- 0.5) million people had a severe disability.
• Among the 237 million people 6 years old and over, 1.8 (+/- 0.2) million used a wheelchair. An additional 5.2 (+/- 0.3) million used a cane, crutches, or a walker and had used such an aid for 6 months or longer.
• Among people age 6 and over, 8.8 (+/- 0.3) million had difficulty seeing, and 10.1 (+/- 0.4) million had difficulty hearing. The number unable to see was 1.6 (+/- 0.1) million, and 1.0 (+/- 0.1) million were unable to hear.
• The number of people age 6 and over who needed the assistance of another person with one or more activities of daily living (ADL) (see the box below for a list of ADLs) was 4.1 (+/- 0.2) million. Of the 4.1 million needing assistance, 2.2 (+/- 0.2) million were 65 years old or older.
• Among people age 15 years old and over, 15.3 (+/-0.4) million were unable to perform one or more functional activities, and 9.0 (+/-0.3) million needed the assistance of another person with one or more instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) (see the box below for a list of IADLs). Of the 9.0 million people needing assistance with an IADL, 4.9 (+/- 0.2) million were age 65 or older.
• The likelihood of having a severe disability increased with age; the rate was 1.7 (+/- 0.2) percent among people less than 22 years old, 6.4 (+/- 0.3) percent among those 22 to 44 years old, 11.5 (+/- 0.7) percent among those 45 to 54 years old, 21.9 (+/- 1.0) percent among those 55 to 64 years old, 27.8 (+/- 1.0) percent among those 65 to 79 years old, and 53.5 (+/- 2.2) percent among those age 80 and older.

Definition of Disability Including Functional Limitations, ADLs, and IADLs

People 15 years old and over were identified as having a disability if they met any of the following criteria:

• Used a wheechair or were a long-term user of a cane, crutches, or a walker.
• Had difficulty performing one or more functional activities (seeing, hearing, speaking, lifting/carrying, using stairs, or walking).
• Had difficulty with one or more activities of daily living (the ADL's included getting around inside the home, getting in or out of bed or a chair, bathing, dressing, eating, and toileting).
• Had difficulty with one or more instrumental activities of daily living (the IADL's included going outside the home, keeping track of money and bills, preparing meals, doing light housework, taking prescription medicines in the right amount at the right time, and using the telephone).
• Had one or more specified conditions (a learning disability, mental retardation or another developmental disability, Alzheimer's disease, or some other type of mental or emotional condition).
• Were limited in their ability to do housework.
• Were 16 to 67 years old and limited in their ability to work at a job or business.
• Were receiving federal benefits based on an inability to work.

People age 15 and over were identified as having a severe disability if they were unable to perform one or more functional activities; needed personal assistance with an ADL or IADL; used a wheelchair; were a long-term user of a cane, crutches, or a walker; had a developmental disability or Alzheimer's disease; were unable to do housework; were receiving federal disability benefits; or were 16 to 67 years old and unable to work at a job or business.

Status of Children

Presently, there is no consensus on the questions that should be asked to determine the disability status of young children. This survey asked whether children under 6 years of age had a "developmental condition for which he/she has received therapy or diagnostic services," and asked whether children 3 to 5 years of age had a "long-lasting condition that limits his/her ability to walk, run, or use stairs." The proportion of children under 3 years of age identified as having a developmental condition was 2.6 percent. For children 3 to 5 years of age, 4.1 percent had a developmental condition, and 1.9 percent had difficulty walking, running, or using stairs (the proportion with either type of disability was 5.2 percent).

The survey asked a wider set of questions to determine the disability status of children aged 6 to 14 years. The survey asked about the following:

• The ability to perform the functional activities of seeing, hearing, walking, running, and using stairs.
• The ability to perform ADL's.
• The use of wheelcairs, canes, crutches, and walkers.
• The ability to do regular schoolwork.
• The presence of a learning disability, mental retardation or some other developmental disability, or any other developmental condition for which the child received therapy or diagnostic services.

The proportion of children in this age group with some type of disability was 12.7 percent; the proportion with a disability classified as severe was 1.9 percent. Among the 35 million children in this age group, 2.2 million were identified as having difficulty doing regular school work and 1.6 million were identified as having a learning disability. The number with a developmental disability (including the conditions of mental retardation, autism, and cerebral palsy) was 0.5 million, and 0.3 million needed personal assistance with an ADL.

Among the 25.1 million people 15 to 21 years of age, 12.1 percent had a disability, and 3.2 percent had a severe disability. (People age 15 to 21 are discussed in the children's section because they are part of the universe whose disability status was determined, in part, by responses to questions about the ability to do schoolwork). The proportion having difficulty with one or more ADLs was 0.6 percent, and 1.5 percent had difficulty with one or more IADLs. The number of people within this age group who needed the assistance of another person with one or more ADLs or IADLs was 0.3 million.

Status of Adults

The likelihood of having a disability increases with age. Among the 95 million people 22 to 44 years old, 14.9 percent had a disability, and 6.4 percent had a severe disability. Within the 30.3 million people age 45 to 54, the proportion with a disability was 24.5 percent and 11.5 percent had a severe disability. Of the 20.6 million people 55 to 64 years old, 36.3 percent had a disability, and 21.9 percent had a severe disability.

The population age 65 years and over includes 24.5 million people age 65 to 79, and 6.8 million age 80 and above. The disability rate among the former group was 47.3 percent, and the rate among the latter group was 71.5 percent. The proportion with a severe disability was 27.8 percent for the first group, and 53.5 percent for the second.

There are some differences by race and Hispanic origin in the prevalence of disability within age groups. Within the 22 to 44 year old age group, the proportion with a severe disability was 5.6 percent among Whites not of Hispanic origin, 11.8 percent among Blacks, and 6.7 percent among people of Hispanic origin. Within the 45 to 54 year old age group, the severe disability rate was 10.5 percent among Whites not of Hispanic origin, 18.4 percent among Blacks, and 15.7 percent among people of Hispanic origin (the latter two figures are not statistically different).

Of the 26 million people with a severe disability, 1.5 million were less than 22 years old, 6.1 million were 22 to 44 years old, 3.5 million were 45 to 54 years old, 4.5 million were 55 to 64 years old, 6.8 million were 65 to 79 years old, and 3.6 million were 80 years old or over (the latter figure is not statistically different from the figure for persons 45 to 64).

Employment and Earnings

Compared to those with no disability, people with a nonsevere disability are less likely to be employed, and people with a severe disability are far less likely to be employed.The employment rate for people 21 to 64 years of age (the age group was chosen because people in this age group have a reasonably strong labor force attachment) was 82.1 percent among those with no disability, 76.9 percent among those with a disability that was not severe, and 26.1 percent among those with a severe disability. 1/ The employment rate was 25.9 percent among the 2.3 million persons who used a wheelchair or who were long-term users of a cane, crutches, or a walker (the rate for this group was not statistically different from the rate for all persons with a severe disability), and 41.3 percent among the 6 million persons classified as having a mental disability. 2/ Among employed persons age 21 to 64, 10.4 percent had a nonsevere disability, and 3.4 percent had a severe disability.

The presence of a disability tends to be associated with lower earnings. Among men 21 to 64 years of age, median monthly earnings were $2,190 among those with no disability, $1,857 among those with a nonsevere disability, and $1,262 among those with a severe disability. Comparable figures for women were $1,470, $1,200, and $1,000 (the monthly earnings of women with a nonsevere disability was not statistically different from those of men with a severe disability).

Relative Income

The relative income measure was developed as a means of describing the income distribution position of people of all ages. Each person is assigned the income of his or her family, the income is adjusted to account for differences in family size, a median is calculated, and the relative income of each person is set equal to the ratio of his or her adjusted income to the median. 3/

The presence of a disability is associated with an increased chance of having a low level of income. When people age 22 to 64 were classified by their relative income level, the proportion with a low (less than half the median) relative income was 13.3 percent among those with no disability, 19.3 percent among those with a nonsevere disability, and 42.2 percent among those with a severe disability. Among people age 65 and over, the proportion with a low relative income was 16.7 percent among those with no disability, 25.0 percent among those with a nonsevere disability, and 35.5 percent among those with a severe disability.

Health Insurance

People with disabilities are less likely to have private health insurance coverage and more likely to have government coverage than people with no disabilities.Among people 22 to 64 years old with no disability, 79.9 percent were covered by a private health insurance plan, 3.0 percent had only government coverage, and 17.1 percent had no coverage. Among those in the same age group with a nonsevere disability, the comparable rates were 71.1 percent, 6.1 percent, and 22.7 percent. The effect of disability on the likelihood of having private coverage was especially marked among those with a severe disability; only 43.7 percent of people 22 to 64 with a severe disability had private coverage, 39.6 percent had government coverage only, and 16.7 percent had no coverage (the latter rate is not statistically different from the noncoverage rate for people with no disability).

Government Assistance Programs

A large proportion of those who participate in means-tested assistance programs have disabilities. Among the 13 million people age 22 to 64 who received means-tested cash, food, or rent assistance, 50.6 percent had either a severe or nonsevere disability and 40.3 percent had a severe disability. The disability rates among the 133 million people in the same age group who did not participate in an assistance program were 16.9 percent (severe or nonsevere), and 6.7 percent (severe).

Although the disability rate is high among program recipients, most people with a severe disability did not receive benefits from an assistance program. Among people with a severe disability, the proportion who received means-tested cash, food, or rent assistance was 37.1 percent among those age 22 to 64, and 18.0 percent among those age 65 and over. 4/

Personal Assistance

The need for personal assistance is associated with age. The proportion needing the help of another person with an ADL or IADL was 3.3 percent among those age 45 to 54, 6.1 percent among those age 55 to 64, 11.5 percent among those age 65 to 79, and 34.1 percent among those age 80 and over.

The number of people 15 years old and over who received the assistance of another person with one or more ADLs or IADLs was 9.3 million. The number receiving assistance with an ADL was 3.8 million. Among people 65 years old and over, 5 million received assistance with an ADL or IADL and 2.2 million received assistance with an ADL.

The survey questionnaire asked for the identification of up to two helpers for each person who received personal assistance. Most helpers were relatives of the recipient. Of the 9.3 million people identified as first helpers, 2.6 million were spouses, 1.7 million were daughters, 1.2 million were sons, and 0.8 million were parents. The remaining first helpers were other relatives, nonrelatives, or paid help. The number of first helpers who were members of the same household as the recipient was 4.5 million.

Previous Data

This report updates the data in "Americans With Disabilities: 1991-92", Series P70-33. That report showed that 48.9 million persons had a disability and 24.1 million of that total had a severe disability. The data in this report are generally comparable to the data in the earlier report, although the questionnaire used to produce the data in this report included an expanded set of questions for children 6 to 14 years of age.

Additional Data

More detailed 1994-95 data on persons with disabilities can be found on the Census Bureau's disability web site:

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability.html

Source and Accuracy of the Estimates

All statistics are subject to sampling error, as well as nonsampling error such as survey design flaws, respondent classification and reporting errors, data processing mistakes, and undercoverage. The Census Bureau has taken steps to minimize errors in the form of quality control and editing procedures to reduce errors made by respondents, coders, and interviewers. Ratio estimation to independent age-race-sex population controls partially corrects for bias attributable to survey undercoverage. However, biases exist in the estimates when missed people have characteristics different from those of interviewed people in the same age-race-sex group.

Analytical statements in this report have been tested and meet statistical standards. However, because of methodological differences, use caution when comparing these data with data from other sources.

Contact the Demographic Statistical Methods Division, at 301-763-4221 or visit ask.census.gov for information on (1) the source of the data, (2) the accuracy of the estimates, (3) the use of standard errors, and (4) the computation of standard errors.

1/ Data from previous Surveys of Income and Program Participation show that the employment rates for people 21 to 64 years of age with no disability, with a nonsevere disability, and with a severe disability were 80.5 percent, 76.0 percent, and 23.3 percent at the end of 1991 (data collected October 1991-January 1992). The employment rates presented in this report are higher than the earlier rates for the categories of of no disability and severe disability; the difference for the category of nonsevere disability is not statistically significant.

2/ People were considered to have a mental disability if they had a limitation caused by a mental or emotional problem or disorder; if they were identified as having a learning disability, mental retardation, Alzheimer's disease, or other mental or emotional condition; or if they had difficulty keeping track of money and bills.

3/ For a more complete description of the relative income measure see "Trends in Relative Income: 1964 to 1989", Series P60, No. 177.

4/ Social security benefits are not means-tested.

Table 1 - Disability Status of Persons by Age, Race and Hispanic Origin

Table 2 - Employment Status of Persons 21 to 64 Years Old

(B) Base less than 150,000.

Table 3 - Employment, Earnings, Relative Income, Health Insurance Coverage Status and Receipt of Benefits by Disability Status:

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Table 4 - Selected Data on the Receipt of Personal Assistance:

	Persons receiving assistance with an ADL or an IADL		Persons receiving assistance with an ADL
	Number (thous.)	Percent distrib.	Number (thous.)	Percent distrib.
Persons receiving personal assistance:
All first helpers	9,342	100.0	3,777	100.0
Household member	4,478	47.9	2,154	57.0
Not a household member	4,864	52.1	1,623	43.0
Relationship to recipient:
Spouse	2,607	27.9	1,298	34.4
Daughter	1,710	18.3	688	18.2
Son	1,183	12.7	392	10.4
Parent	800	8.6	280	7.4
Other relative	1,231	13.2	447	11.8
Nonrelative	1,018	10.9	300	7.9
Paid help	794	8.5	372	9.9

Go to Americans with Disabilities: 1994-95
Go to the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) Page

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Contact the Demographic Call Center Staff at 301-763-2422 or 1-866-758-1060 (toll free) or visit ask.census.gov for further information on Disability Data.

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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division

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