On this day in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the
Americans with Disabilities Act, guaranteeing equal opportunity for
people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities,
employment, transportation, state and local government services and
telecommunications.
Population Distribution
49.7 million
Number of people age 5 and over in the civilian noninstitutionalized
population with at least one disability, according to Census 2000; this
is a ratio of nearly 1-in-5 U.S. residents, or 19 percent. These individuals
fit at least one of the following descriptions: 1) they are 5 years
old or older and have a sensory, physical, mental or self-care disability;
2) they are 16 years old or older and have difficulty going outside
the home; or 3) they are 16-to-64 years old and have an employment disability.
- 7 percent of boys and 4 percent of girls ages 5 to 15 have disabilities.
- 20 percent of men and 18 percent of women ages 16 to 64 have disabilities.
- 43 percent of women and 40 percent of men 65 or older have disabilities.
24%
Percentage of West Virginia residents 5 or older who have at least one
disability, the highest rate in the nation. (West Virginia also has the
highest median age of any state.) The Mountaineer State is closely followed
by Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. Counties with very high
disability rates are clustered in the coal mining areas of Kentucky, West
Virginia and Virginia. These counties are Bell, Breathitt, Clay, Harlan,
Leslie, Martin and Owsley in Kentucky; Buchanan in Virginia; and McDowell
in West Virginia.
30%
Percentage of residents of Paterson, N.J., who have at least one disability.
Paterson, N.J.; Miami, Fla.; and Newark, N.J., have the highest proportions
of people with disabilities among places with 100,000 or more residents.
46%
Percentage of people with disabilities reporting more than one disability.
60%
Percentage of working-age men with disabilities who are employed. For
women, the rate is
51 percent. Altogether, 10.4 million men and 8.2 million women with disabilities
are employed.
1.9 million
Number of people ages 18 to 34 who have disabilities and are enrolled
in school. They comprise 12 percent of all students in this age group.
The majority of this group (1.4 million) attend college or graduate school.
For further information on the data in this section, see <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-17.pdf>.
Specific Disabilities
9.3 million
The number of people age 5 or older in 2000 with a sensory disability
involving sight or hearing. This group accounts for 3.6 percent of the
total population age 5 or over.
21.2 million
The number of people age 5 or older with a condition limiting basic physical
activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting or carrying.
This group accounts for 8.2 percent of the total population age 5 or older.
12.4 million
The number of people age 5 or older with a physical, mental or emotional
condition causing difficulty in learning, remembering or concentrating.
This group accounts for 4.8 percent of the total population age 5 or older.
6.8 million
Number of people age 5 or older who have a physical, mental or emotional
condition causing difficulty in dressing, bathing or getting around inside
the home. This group accounts for
2.6 percent of the total population age 5 or older.
18.2 million
Number of people age 16 or older who have a condition that makes it difficult
to go outside the home to shop or visit a doctor. This group accounts
for 8.6 percent of people who are of this age.
21.3 million
Number of people ages 16 to 64 who have a condition that affects their
ability to work at a job or business. They account for 11.9 percent of
the people in this age group.
For further information on the data in this section, see <http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-17.pdf>.
Earnings
$28,803
Median 1999 earnings of the 12 million year-round, full-time workers who
have any of the six disabilities mentioned above. By comparison, people
with none of these disabilities had median earnings of $33,970. <http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/phc-t32.html>
Serving Our Nation
2.4 million
Number of veterans who receive compensation for service-related disabilities.
Of these vets, 440,000 served in World War II; 165,000 in Korea; 799,000
in Vietnam; and 419,000 in the Persian Gulf.
See Table 531 at <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-03.html>.
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