Appendix - Definitions, Sources, and Methods

Section 6 is a special one-time section that focuses on the employment and benefit recipiency status of persons with disabilities.  Chart 6.1 illustrates the prevalence of persons with disabilities while chart 6.2 compares their employment-to-population ratios to that of persons without disabilities.  Charts 6.3 and 6.4 present the prevalence of persons receiving disability benefits and their labor market status. 

Disability data presented in charts 6.1, 6.2 and 6.4 are collected through household surveys, and in most cases disability status is determined by self-reports of a long-term health problem, disability, or disease, in combination with resulting impediments to carrying out daily activities.  A description of the precise methods used to identify persons with disabilities through household survey data can be found in the source document.

Caution should be taken when interpreting the disability statistics presented in these charts for several reasons.  First, a universal statistical definition of disability is not available, which limits cross-country comparability; self-reported disability status collected from household surveys is used as an alternative.  Household surveys omit the institutionalized population, and consequently persons with disabilities who require hospitalization or other institutionalized care are not included in the sample.  Second, differences in survey instruments and methods further reduce the comparability of indicators; this is minimized for European countries that use the European Community Household Panel (ECHP), which employs a common questionnaire in all countries surveyed.  This applies to European countries with the exception of Germany and the United Kingdom, which stopped using the common questionnaire in 1996.  Finally, the same year of data is not available for all countries, and observations range from 1996 to 2000.

Charts 6.2 and 6.4 present employment as a percent of the working-age population for persons with disabilities and persons without disabilities (chart 6.2) and the labor market status of persons receiving disability benefits (chart 6.4).  Labor market status, including employment, is self-reported and collected through household surveys.  The caveats described above therefore apply to these charts; the exclusion of the institutionalized population is particularly worthy of emphasis.  That is, since persons who are institutionalized as a result of disability are likely to experience severe disability and therefore unlikely to be in the labor force, charts 6.2 and 6.4 may not be representative of the labor force distribution of the entire population with disabilities.

Data for chart 6.3 are based on research from the Netherlands Economic Institute (NEI) conducted on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW).  The resulting database from this research is often referred to as the NEI-SZW database. The underlying data are collected from administrative records, whereas charts 6.1, 6.2, and 6.4 are based on household survey data.  Furthermore, the working-age population in this chart is defined as persons ages 15 to 64, whereas it is defined as persons ages 20 to 64 in the other section 6 charts.  For these reasons, the population depicted in chart 6.3 may differ significantly from those in the other section 6 charts. 

Indicators for persons receiving disability benefits, a sub-group of all persons with disabilities, are presented in charts 6.3 and 6.4.  Chart 6.3 covers persons receiving contributory and non-contributory disability benefits, regular cash industrial injury benefits, and war disability payments, whereas chart 6.4 covers persons who self-reported receiving benefits in a household survey.  The OECD notes that many persons who report a disability do not report receiving benefits.  This may be explained in part by differences between standards for self-assessed disability status and disability benefit program eligibility requirements.  For both charts, data are not directly comparable across countries, as the precise mix of disability benefit programs offered vary by country, as do the eligibility requirements and covered population.  A description of the disability benefits recorded in each country can be found in the source documents.

Source: OECD, Transforming Disability into Ability, Paris, 2003, charts 3.6 and 3.7, and table A1.1; OECD, Employment Outlook 2003, Paris, 2003, table 4.A1.1.