To understand inclusivity in Canada, we must discuss disabilities from an accessibility perspective. For all Canadians with disabilities to be equal participants in society, it’s crucial to understand and respect the most common disability types in Canada. These types affect various age groups and impact daily activities for children and working-age adults who may or may not have severe disabilities.
Let’s explore disability types and their prevalence in Canada, including physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.
Keep reading to learn more about the most common disability types in Canada and gain insight into essential statistics on disabilities in Canada. You will also learn about the role of Accessibly in promoting accessibility through an innovative overlay widget on any website or as part of native integrations on popular platforms like Shopify and WordPress.
Definition of Disability and Its Various Types
Some persons with disabilities have one or more types, including physical, intellectual, and sensory. It affects everyone from children to working-age adults to the elderly.
Among Canada’s total population, the prevalence of disabilities based on demographic factors such as age and gender can differ, with disability increases having a higher prevalence in older age groups.
Overall, this data underscores the need for targeted support for people with disabilities so we can address the most common types of challenges so they can enjoy full and equal participation under the Accessible Canada Act.
In short, people with milder disabilities often encounter fewer issues navigating the world than those with very severe disabilities. However, they may still experience disability issues that impact daily life and, sometimes, employment.
Physical Disabilities
Physical disabilities involve difficulties with movement, often requiring mobility aids and assistive aids like wheelchairs or wheelchair ramps used in public spaces.
Conditions that can cause physical disabilities include multiple sclerosis, amputation, and cerebral palsy, which are a combination of neurological diseases, limb loss, or any group of disorders that affect how one moves.
Here are some examples of physical disabilities:
- Paraplegia: Damage to spinal cords, often resulting from disease, leading to lower sensations (especially in the lower half of the body) over time.
- Quadriplegia: Any combination of partial or total loss of use of legs and arms due to spinal cord damage or disease. Quadriplegics often require wheelchairs and other mobility aids to walk, talk, and eat, facing reported difficulties with everyday tasks, regardless of disability severity.
- Amputation: Any limb loss, such as an arm or leg, due to an accident, illness, or related condition.
- Cerebral Palsy: A brain disorder that affects movement and muscle tone, often impacting coordination and mobility. Individuals (no matter the age group) with cerebral palsy usually require extensive physical therapy, learning disability help, and mobility aids.
- Multiple Sclerosis: A disease of the central nervous system that results in fatigue and muscle weakness, affecting one’s ability to participate in daily activities due to mobility restrictions.
Intellectual Disabilities
Intellectual disabilities impact cognitive functioning, working age adults, and the elderly, which can pose challenges in public spaces and require specialized workplace accommodations, such as calm lighting. Developmental disabilities like Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are two of the more well-known intellectual disabilities.
Intellectual disabilities include:
- Down Syndrome: This genetic disorder involves an extra chromosome, resulting in low intellectual capability, co-occurring disabilities, mild disabilities, and requiring ongoing support to address learning challenges
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A neurodevelopmental disorder that makes it difficult for individuals to participate in social settings, leading to many disabilities related to mental health.
- Fragile X Syndrome: Considered one of the more severe disabilities, Fragile X Syndrome is caused by a mutation in the FMR1 gene, this syndrome leads to varying degrees of intellectual disability, requiring support from school personnel and other aids
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): This severe disability occurs when a mother (no matter the age group) consumes excessive alcohol during pregnancy, leading to extensive mental health-related disabilities that require lifelong support
- Williams Syndrome: Resulting from a deletion on chromosome 7, this condition causes intellectual disabilities and distinctive facial features, necessitating significant intervention in social settings
Sensory Disabilities
Sensory disabilities affect a Canadian with disabilities’ ability to process sensory information such as eyesight, hearing, touch, and taste – no matter what the age group or if one has at least one disability or not.
In this context, there is no shortage of accessibility tools, such as speech-to-text software, text-to-speech software, and screen readers to draw attention to critical audible alerts.
Here are five examples of moderate to severe sensory disabilities:
- Blindness: Refers to total loss of vision, requiring individuals to rely on assistive devices and assistive technology such as Braille displays and other assistive technology. According to the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) 2017, 2% of Canadians report some level of blindness. This is a common disability type for disabled Canadians and disabled people overall.
- Low Vision: Individuals with low vision suffer from poor eyesight that may or may not be correctable with standard glasses. They may experience limited visual acuity or a narrowing visual field due to conditions like scotomas or macular degeneration. Sometimes, they benefit from visual aids like screen readers and Braille displays.
- Hard of Hearing: Persons with disabilities (no matter the age group) who are hard of hearing report partial hearing loss, which can affect their ability to process auditory information. Technologies such as screen readers and magnification software can assist those who are hard of hearing.
- Total Deafness: Total deafness is another common disability type, referring to a complete loss of hearing, necessitating the use of sign language or other methods of communication.
- Sensory Processing Disorder: This disorder occurs when parts of the brain do not properly connect, leading to severe disabilities in receiving and processing sensory information. Individuals may have heightened or diminished responses to sensory input.
Most Common Disability Types in Canada
With about 15% of the world’s population suffering from some form of disability, it’s no surprise that disability is prevalent in Canada.
According to the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability by Statistics Canada, roughly 24% of working-age adults (ages 25-64) in Canada reported a disability as well.
Mobility Impairments
According to the same survey, around 10% of Canadians aged 15 or older reported having a disability related to mobility, which can include various conditions such as arthritis and partial paralysis that affect mobility. This may or may not include any number of mental health related disabilities, severe disabilities, or one or more disabilities.
One of the main goals of the Accessible Canada Act is to improve accessibility for persons with the most common disabilities in public spaces and workplaces. It mandates the creation of built environments, which include features such as ramps, elevators, accessible doorways, and restrooms, designed to facilitate movement for wheelchair-bound users and others with limited mobility.
In the most extreme cases, wheelchair-bound users (no matter the age group) with limited or no flexibility in their arms and legs can use switch access, which allows them to control computers with a single finger. Classified as a severe disability, it can affect virtually everyone including working-age adults, persons with mental health-related disabilities, or even those without disabilities or more severe disabilities now who may experience an accident later.
The Accessible Canada Act includes provisions for accessible public transportation, ensuring priority seating for passengers with disabilities, and specially equipped vehicles with lowered floors to accommodate wheelchair users.
Hearing Impairments
About 5% of Canadians aged 15 years or older reported a hearing disability, which can range from minimal hearing loss to total deafness.
The Accessible Canada Act strongly advocates for reducing barriers for deaf individuals, providing funding for the development of assistive technologies like sign language interpreters and hearing loops. These provisions also include developing accessible customer service training programs. As a result many individuals with disabilities experience full and equal participation where various barriers are eliminated.
This may include any number of workplace accommodations, which may vary depending on whether a group of disabled employees belong to the same age group.
Vision Impairments
The Canadian population also has a high prevalence of visual impairments.
According to Statistics Canada, roughly 4% of Canadians aged 15 or older reporting a vision-related disability. This can include various stages of impairment, from minimal vision loss to more severe conditions like glaucoma.
Over the past decades, the Accessible Canada Act has promoted inclusivity within physical spaces by introducing tactile signage in shopping centers and providing accessible digital content through innovative Braille displays, especially in outdoor public spaces.
Cognitive Impairments
Similar to mobility, hearing, and vision impairments, there is a notable prevalence of cognitive impairments among Canadians.
According to the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) 2017, about 7% of those aged 15 years or older report mental health related disabilities. It is not surprising that an aging population has a higher incidence of cognitive impairments, activity limitations, and a greater likelihood of being unable to participate fully in the built environment.
These impairments encompass various disorders, ranging from learning disabilities to significant cognitive declines resulting from accidents. \Like other impairments, accessibility initiatives promote cognitive-friendly environments in public spaces, incorporating features such as clear signage, color-coded assistance software, and other formats that accommodate individuals with disabilities.
Mental Health Conditions
To address mental health issues, Canadian web accessibility standards include provisions for accessible workplaces, providing reasonable accommodations such as reduced work hours or flexible schedules.
According to Statistics Canada, mental health-related disabilities increased by 3.2 percentage points from 2017 to 2022, which speaks even greater volumes about the importance of accessibility.
Statistics Canada also says that 20.1% of youth aged 15 to 24 reported a disability, which makes this important population even more of a focus as well.
Plus, those with mental health related disabilities can benefit from simplified interfaces and sensory considerations if they have PTSD or other sensitive conditions—for example, introducing soft, adjustable lighting in the workplace.
One of the significant aspects of the Accessible Canada Act is its commitment to eliminating barriers by introducing accessibility features in both physical and digital spaces for those with a physical or mental health-related disability. This includes improvements with Braille signage, additional accessible parking spots, wheelchair ramps at entryways, and various other enhancements designed with navigation in mind. Anyone can benefit, whether they have a moderate disability or a pain-related disability or are in public spaces or not.
The Role of Accessibly in Promoting Accessibility
Tools like the Accessibly Accessibility app play a crucial role in ensuring that websites are accessible to everyone, helping businesses ensure compliance with the Accessible Canada Act and provide a better user experience for persons with disabilities.
Accessibly’s features include brightness adjustments, high-contrast text and background colors, readable fonts, additional tooltips, and highlighted links. Users can toggle features on or off at any time.New Accessibly users can enjoy a free 7-day trial, gaining access to all features without any commitment. Embrace accessibility and download the Accessibly overlay widget today!
