National
Center for Health Statistics
New Report on Disability Available from NCHS
For Immediate
Release: November 13, 1997
Contact: NCHS Public Affairs Office (301) 458-4800
e-mail: paoquery@cdc.gov
No. 292. Trends and
Differential Use of Assistive Technology Devices: United States, 1994. 12
pp. (PHS) 98-1250
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PDF 77 KB
A new report from the
National Center for Health Statistics examines the use of assistive
technology devices for vision, hearing, mobility, and orthopedic
impairments. This is the first analysis of this kind from the National
Health Interview Survey's Disability Supplement. Highlights from the
report, titled "Trends and Differential Use of Assistive Technology
Devices: United States, 1994," include:
An estimated 7.4 million persons in the U.S. household population use
assistive technology devices for mobility impairments, the most frequent
reason for using an assistive device. Almost 5 million people use canes,
the single most utilized assistive device.
Another 4.6 million
use assistive devices such as back braces and artificial limbs to
compensate for orthopedic impairments.
4.5 million use hearing
aids, amplified telephones, closed caption television, and other assistive
devices for hearing impairments.
500,000 use these
devices for vision impairments.
The majority of persons
using these devices were over 65 years of age. Sixty-two percent of
persons using mobility devices, 69 percent of persons using hearing
devices, and 51 percent of persons using vision devices are over 65 years
of age.
Use of assistive
devices has increased dramatically over the past decade, in part due to
the aging of the population but also due to technological advances, public
policy initiatives, and changes in the delivery and financing of health
care.
"Trends and
Differential Use of Assistive Technology Devices: United States, 1994," can
be downloaded from the National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) Home
Page at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/.
This page last reviewed
October 06, 2006
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