Table of contents:
The Concept of Disability
Since disability has a different meaning for different people, it is critical to have a clear definition for data collection. Disability is heterogeneous, varying by type, severity, cause, age of onset, and how people with disabilities and long-term impairments interact with various environmental barriers that may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Therefore, any analysis or interpretation of data must take these factors into account. (Box 2)
Box 2. Transparency in defining disability
Because disability is a complex concept, it is necessary to adopt an explicit definition when developing census or survey questions that will be used to identify disability status. The recommended set of questions for censuses is based on such an explicit definition. It is essential that estimates or tabulations based on the recommended set be accompanied by information on how disability is defined and how the questions are asked. This information should be included as part of the metadata associated with the questions and data set and it should be included as a footnote to tables that include these estimates.