Thursday, July 26, 2012

Millions Are Disabled

One in five Americans aged 15 or older and half aged 65 or older have a disability, according to the Census Bureau. Difficulty walking is one of the most widespread problems, reported by 10 percent of people aged 15 or older and 31 percent of people aged 65 or older.

When asked what accounts for their disability, the most common causes are arthritis (25 percent), back problems (25 percent), diabetes (10 percent), and heart trouble (10 percent).

Of the 51 million people aged 15 or older with a disability, only 12 million require help from others. Eighty-nine percent get that help for free--mostly from family members.

Source: Census Bureau, Americans with Disabilities: 2010

No comments: