Understanding disability statistics is essential to recognize why accessibility is crucial across physical and digital spaces. These statistics include data and metrics that detail frequency, demographic breakdown, impact on living, employment rates, and other aspects of the lives of people with disabilities in the public sphere.
Keep reading to learn more about disability statistics and facts in the United States, including what disability statistics are, a general overview of U.S. disability statistics, available resources, and future trends in disability support and accessibility.
Intro to Disability Statistics and Why They Are Important
Disability statistics illustrate the prevalence and types of disabilities within a population. Whether it’s the European Union or the United States, every country or region has vital statistics that inform policy and accessibility. For example, roughly 15% of the world suffers from a partial or total disability, including cognitive, mobility, visual, or hearing impairments.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of adults in the United States who live with a disability is nearly 26%. Among these disabilities, mobility impairments are the most common, followed by cognitive, hearing, vision, and self-care/independent living disabilities.
How is Disability Data Collected?
Disability statistics in the United States are managed in several ways.
Organizations that handle disability statistics include, but are not limited to, the United States Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the U.S. Department of Labor. Each collects disability data in different ways, such as phone and email surveys, across various health and living issues, including disability status.
Common Disabilities in the United States
Here’s a breakdown of the most common disabilities in the United States:
- Mobility: 13.7%
- Cognitive: 10.8%
- Hearing: 5.9%
- Vision: 4.6%
- Self-care: 3.7%
Demographic Breakdown
Here’s a demographic breakdown of disabilities in the United States:
- Roughly 10% of adults aged 18 to 44 have a disability
- Approximately 40% of adults aged 65 or older have a disability.
- Women are more likely to have a disability (26.9%) than men (25.4%).
- Among all races and ethnicities, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the highest likelihood of disabilities at close to 31%.
What About Worldwide?
Here’s a compilation of some of the most essential disability statistics:
- Over 46% of people aged 60 or older have disabilities (WHO, “World Report on Disability”).
- 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries (United Nations Development Programme, “Disability-Inclusive Development“).
- In Europe, 55% of people with disabilities have difficulty accessing public transport (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, “Accessibility of Public Transport for Persons with Disabilities”).
- The global literacy rate for adults with disabilities is estimated to be as low as 3% and 1% for women with disabilities (UN, “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities“).
Statistics on Web Accessibility
Here are four hard-hitting statistics on web accessibility (check our blog post if you’d like to know more):
- Digital products that fully comply with WCAG 2.0 are expected to have a 50% higher market performance than their competitors. (Source: Gartner)
- Accessible websites have a positive impact on search engine rankings. By complying with accessibility standards, businesses can improve their website’s SEO and reach a broader audience. (Source: ADA)
- In 2022, 2,387 digital accessibility-related lawsuits were filed in the United States under the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Source: Accessibility)
- 51% of consumers are willing to pay more for products or services from businesses that prioritize web accessibility. (Source: CapTech)
Impact of Disabilities
Disabilities have a significant impact on daily living and employment, creating substantial economic consequences if accessibility standards are not met. Difficulty walking, performing household chores, understanding complex instructions, and other tasks the able-bodied take for granted can affect earnings prospects, job opportunities, and quality of life.
One area where individuals with disabilities struggle is employment. There are significant employment disparities between non-disabled individuals and those with disabilities, with a 19.1% employment-population ratio compared to close to 65% for non-disabled individuals (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Another statistic that highlights the impact of disabilities on employment is the prevalence of part-time versus full-time work among individuals with disabilities. They are more likely to be employed part-time than full-time, with roughly 32% employed part-time (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
One reason for this disparity is the scheduling needs and conflicts caused by medical appointments, inadequate accommodations, fatigue, and similar issues that affect one’s ability to work.
Web Accessibility and User Perception
Here are some eye-opening statistics that explain how individuals with disabilities perceive websites with accessibility issues:
- Nearly half of the people with disabilities surveyed by WebAIM reported that web content accessibility did not improve in the past year (WebAIM).
- A WCAG 2.1 accessibility audit of Fortune 100 corporate websites revealed 815,600 accessibility issues, most of which were Level A issues, indicating that these companies are not meeting minimum standards for accessibility compliance (Ovum).
- The average number of detectable accessibility errors per website homepage is 50.8. The most common mistakes are low-contrast text, missing alternative text for images, empty links, missing form input labels, and empty buttons (WebAIM).
- 98% of websites do not comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 (AccessiBe).
For perspective regarding accessibility levels, they are Level A (Minimum Accessibility), Level AA (Mid-Range Accessibility), and Level AAA (Highest Level).
Accessibility and Support: Resources Available for Individuals with Disabilities
Fortunately, there is no shortage of resources available for individuals with disabilities. These include ongoing training opportunities and assistive technology like screen readers (e.g., JAWS, NVDA).
Advocacy Organizations
One of the best ways to get involved in the disability community (not just during Disability Pride Month) is by engaging with numerous organizations that advance the needs of individuals with disabilities. Two organizations worth considering are the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network and the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF).
Web Accessibility Guidelines
Revisiting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is highly recommended. These guidelines establish a comprehensive framework for accessibility best practices on digital websites and mobile applications. Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WCAG includes features like alternative text for images and the use of semantic HTML for proper heading structure.
Treating the WCAG 2.1 guidelines as a valuable resource can help you understand what your website or mobile application needs to increase compliance.
Assistive Technology
Screen readers, voice recognition software, and adaptive keyboards/mice are three of the most common types of assistive technology for individuals with disabilities. These devices convert text on a computer screen into transcribed speech, facilitate voice commands, and rely on keyboard navigation to perform most functions on a web page.
Role of Technology in Improving Accessibility
One of the best aspects of today’s technology is the gradual incorporation of accessibility features into mainstream devices. Technology providers are increasingly equipping their devices with built-in accessibility features, eliminating the need for overlays or specialized software.
A famous example is the Apple VoiceOver app, which allows users to control their iPhone or iPad using simple gestures with spoken feedback. Other assistive technologies available include magnification tools for text and cursor, as well as video closed captioning.
Future Trends
With more than 61 million adults in the United States living with a disability, it’s never been more critical to understand the importance of accessibility and the new technology that comes with it.
Two promising technologies are artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which can work together to create a more personalized user experience. This includes features like real-time audio and video transcription and navigating websites using voice commands.
Another trend worth watching is the field of virtual and augmented reality. Especially beneficial for the mobility impaired, a virtual reality session could place a person at their desired vacation spot, complete with overlaid information to help them make decisions.
Lastly, accessibility overlays and widgets are also important. The Accessibly Accessibility app can instantly help your website or mobile application increase ADA and WCAG compliance by introducing features like color contrast adjustment and screen reader compatibility. With a single piece of code on your website or native integration with platforms, it takes less than five minutes to download and activate Accessibly.
In short, future trends in disability support and accessibility seem promising.
A Word on Accessibly
One of the best ways to increase ADA and WCAG compliance is by using a website accessibility widget like Accessibly.
Accessibly offers a simple snippet of code that can be hardcoded into any website, instantly upgrading it with accessibility-friendly features such as larger cursors, tooltips, audio captioning, high contrast between text and background, and dozens of other features designed to improve navigation for individuals with mobility, visual, cognitive, and hearing impairments. Additionally, all users can take advantage of a free 7-day trial with instant access to all features. Pricing starts at $20 per month, with $25 for most platforms. Get started on the road to inclusion by downloading the Accessibly widget today!
