Age Suitability

Identifying disability in children is more difficult than identifying disability in adults. Therefore, a short set of questions, like those proposed by the WG for censuses, are less appropriate for children. Children’s functioning is more varied than functioning in adults and identifying functional difficulties is confounded by underlying variation in typical child development. Therefore, special procedures are needed for identifying children’s disability.[1]

Box 20. Multiple needs for disability data

The WG-SS of six questions was designed to be used within the context of a census, whereby the collection of disability data within a given country may otherwise have high degrees of limitations. 

Furthermore, the WG has acknowledged that disability among children − due to the circumstances of child development and transition from infancy through adolescence − is not adequately covered by these questions. However, in the absence of alternative measures and alternative data collection exercises, the questions do provide an indication of child functioning for the population between 5 and 17 years of age on the domains covered.

Nonetheless, and as mentioned in Chapter IV, the WG has developed CFM, a separate set of child-centered questions that can be used in surveys to more accurately identify children with disabilities between 2 and 17 years of age. 

At the regional level, almost all countries have applied the disability questions to the entire population. The one exception is Jordan, which limited the age group to those aged 5 years and above.  In this type of case, it is recommended that in the absence of implementing the CFM, the WG-SS or WG-ES-F questions be asked of all respondents of 5 years of age and above.