In the 1999–2000 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:2000), respondents were asked if they had any of the following long-lasting conditions: blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment. They were also asked if they had any condition that substantially limited one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying. Next, they were asked if they had any other physical, mental, or emotional condition that had lasted 6 months or more. If they had any of these other long-lasting conditions, they were asked if they had difficulty learning, remembering, or concentrating; dressing, bathing, or getting around inside their home or dormitory; getting to school to attend class; or working at a job. Finally, students who reported any type of disability were asked if they considered themselves disabled.

Overall, 11 percent of undergraduates reported having a sensory, mobility, or other disability (as described above); 9 percent reported having a disability that caused them difficulty as a student (i.e., they had a sensory or mobility disability or they had another condition that caused them difficulty with any of the activities listed in the previous paragraph); and 4 percent considered themselves disabled (NPSAS 2000: Previously unpublished tabulations [March 2002]). Indicator 34 limits its discussion to the 9 percent of students who had a disability that caused them difficulty as a student.

The disability section of NPSAS:2000 was more detailed and very different from that of previous NPSAS surveys. Consequently, direct comparisons between students surveyed in 2000 and in previous years may be misleading. The percentage of students indicating some sort of disability was substantially higher in NPSAS:2000 than in previous administrations of the survey.