Question:
What proportion of students enrolled in postsecondary education have a disability?
Response:
Eleven percent of undergraduates reported having a disability in 2003�. Among students reporting a disability, one-fourth reported an orthopedic condition, 22 percent reported a mental illness or depression, and 17 percent reported a health impairment. Women and men differed somewhat in the types of disabilities they reported. Women were more likely than men to report mental illness/depression and health impairments, while men were more likely to report attention deficit disorders. Independent students were more likely than dependent students to report any disabilities (14 vs. 9 percent)
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003� (NCES 2006-184).
Percentage of undergraduates who reported some type of disability by student characteristics: 2003� | |
Student characteristic |
Any disabilities1 |
Total (50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico) | 11.3 |
Gender | |
Male | 11.2 |
Female | 11.4 |
Race/ethnicity2 | |
White | 11.7 |
Black | 10.7 |
Hispanic | 10.9 |
Asian | 7.1 |
American Indian | 14.6 |
Pacific Islander | 9.1 |
Multiple races | 14.8 |
Other | 15.0 |
Dependency status | |
Dependent | 9.0 |
Independent | 13.6 |
1 Includes students who reported having a 搇ong-lasting� condition such as blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment; a condition that limits 搊ne or more of the basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying� or who responded they had any other physical, mental, or emotional condition that lasted 6 or more months and who had difficulty doing one of the following five activities: getting to school, getting around campus, learning, dressing, or working at a job.
2 Black includes African American, Hispanic includes Latino, American Indian includes Alaska Native, Pacific Islander includes Native Hawaiian, and Other includes respondents having
origins in a race not listed. Race categories exclude Hispanic origin unless specified.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2006). Profile of Undergraduates in U.S. Postsecondary Education Institutions: 2003� (NCES 2006-184).
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