Disability Indicators for Policy Analysis

Experience shows that although an increasing number of countries ask questions about disability in their censuses and surveys, the presentation of data on disability has often been limited. Unfortunately, cross-tabulations with other characteristics are not usually made, which weakens the analysis and development of disability statistics. 

To enrich the analysis and provide a valuable source of information for planners and policy-makers, the section below provides related policy questions and a list of proposed disability indicators in the areas of demography, education, literacy, employment, industry, occupation, poverty, violence, access and benefits.  The proposed indicators are guided by the recommended tabulations of the Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, the SDGs’ disability-related indicators, the international standardized indicators of the United Nations Educational, and the Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the ILO. 

Demography

One basic question that can be asked in order to identify the total number of persons with difficulties is: How many persons with disabilities are there in the population?

Rehabilitation programme planners would then need to ask further questions to identify the kinds of specific difficulties, and their frequency, that such persons have. Furthermore, in order to target services appropriately, the variations in frequency or prevalence of disability by age group, sex, marital status, and geographical area also need to be identified. 

The results from computing the prevalence of disability in different geographical areas of a country might show that some areas have higher prevalence rates than others. Moreover, information on the marital status of persons with disabilities is important in understanding their social integration. In addition, information on living arrangements for persons with disabilities − living alone, with family or in institutions − is useful in determining the economic and social provisions that may be needed.

• Prevalence of disability in the population by sex and geographical area;
• Prevalence of disability in the population by type of disability, sex, age and geographical area;
• Share of female population with disability by type of disability, age and geographical area;
• Proportion of age-sex distribution of population with a disability by geographical area;[1]
• Proportion of age-specific population with disability by sex and geographical area;9
• Sex ratio of persons with disabilities by age and geographical area;
• Proportion of population with a disability living in household and in institution[2] by sex, age and geographical area;
• Proportion of population (18+ years) with a disability by living arrangements, sex and geographical area;
• Proportion of population (18+ years) with a disability living alone by house ownership, sex and geographical area;
• Proportion of households with one or more persons with disabilities, by type and size of household (all sizes),[3] sex and geographical area;
• Proportion of population with a disability by cause, sex and geographical area;
• Prevalence of disability in the population (15+ years) by marital status, sex, age and geographical area;12
• Proportion of age-sex distribution of population with a disability by marital status and geographical area;[4]
• Proportion of age-specific population with a disability by marital status, sex and geographical area12.

Education and Literacy

In education, planners might ask: What percentage of school-age children with disabilities are in school? 

For this question, information is needed on the total number of children with and without disabilities, both in and out of school. The information will allow estimates to be created to compare the attendance rates of children with and without disabilities. 

Additional questions could include: How many children are illiterate and did not attend school? Do children face discrimination and restricted access to early-childhood education? Have the educated children been able to improve their living standard? 

In addition, the percentage of persons with disabilities who have no schooling can be compared with that of persons without disabilities. This provides information on the status of integration of persons with disabilities and on the opportunity that persons with disabilities have to participate in the economic, social and cultural development of the country.

• Proportion of population (5+, 15+ and 25+ years) with a disability by educational attainment, sex and geographical area;[5]
• Proportion of population (5+ years) with a disability by school attendance, sex, and geographical area;[6]
• Proportion of age-specific population with a disability by school attendance[7], sex and geographical area;
• Proportion of population (5+, 15+ and 25+ years) with disability out of school13 sex and geographical area;
• Literacy rate of population (15+, 15-24 and 15-64 years) with disability by sex and geographical area.[8]

Employment and Work

Labour policymakers might ask: What percentage of adults with disabilities are economically active? How does this compare with the percentage for adults without disabilities? How many adults with disabilities are employed and unemployed? Who are they and where do they live? 

Data on the population not currently economically active and classified by reason for inactivity may be used for the analysis of potential sources of human resources that are not readily available but that may become so under different circumstances. 

What are the types of occupation in which disabled persons work? What sector type are they engaged in? How much do they earn? The answers are critical to understanding the full economic impact of disability. In addition, access to paid work is crucial to achieving self-reliance and ensuring the well-being of the adult population, both for persons with and without disabilities. Tabulations by status of economic activity provide a basic measure of the social and economic integration of the population that may be most disadvantaged.

• Labour-force participation rate[9] of population with a disability by educational attainment,[10] sex, age and geographical area;
• Employment-to-population ratio (employment rate)[11] of population with a disability by educational attainment, sex, age and geographical area;[12]
• Proportion of population with a disability by employment status,[13] sex and geographical area;
• Proportion of employed population with a disability by sector[14] (e.g. manufacturing,[15] agriculture, construction and services), sex and geographical area;
• Proportion of employed population with disability in the major occupational groups[16] by sex and geographical area;
• Unemployment rate[17] of population with a disability by educational attainment,[18] sex, age and geographical area;
• Youth unemployment rate[19] of population with a disability by sex and geographical area;
• Inactivity rate[20] of population with disability by educational attainment, sex, age and geographical area;
• Proportion of unemployed population with a disability by educational attainment, sex, age and geographical area;[21]
• Proportion of youth not in education, employment or training[22] (potential youth in labour market) by sex and geographical area;
• Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disability.[23]

Poverty

Wealth and status can help provide resources for reducing activity limitations and partici­pation restrictions.[24] Vulnerable groups such as women, those in the poorest wealth quintile, and older people would have higher prevalence of disability, especially in developing countries. Research shows that persons with disability have lower employment rates, lower educational attainment, and higher rates of poverty than per­sons without disability.

• Proportion of people living below 50 per cent of median income, disaggregated by age group, sex and persons with disabilities and geographical area, and by employment and education attainment.[25]

Violence

Persons with disa­bilities are at greater risk of violence than those without disabilities. Students with disabilities often become the targets of violent acts including physical threats and abuse, verbal abuse and social isolation.

• Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner, in the last 12 months, by form of violence, by age group and disability status;[26]
• Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner, in the last 12 months, by age group, place of occurrence and disability status;[27]
• Proportion of women subjected to physical or sexual harassment, by perpetrator, place of occurrence (last 12 months) and disability status.[28]

Access

Persons with disabilities often face discrimination and restricted access to services, including those related to information, communication and technology, transport and family planning.

• Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone[29] by disability status, sex and geographical location;
• Proportion of individuals using the Internet[30] by disability status, sex and geographical location;
•  Percentage of population using safely managed drinking water services[31] by disability status, sex and geographical location;
• Percentage of population using safely managed sanitation services, including a hand-washing facility with soap and water[32] by disability status, sex and geographical location;
• Proportion of the population that has convenient access to public transport,[33] disaggregated by disability status, age, sex and geographical location;
• The percentage of women of reproductive age (between 15 and 49 years of age) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods[34] by disability status, age, sex and geographical location.

Benefits

It is also important to monitor the situation of person with disabilities and whether they have access to social services and benefits.

• The percentage of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, disaggregated by sex, and distinguishing children, the unemployed, old-age persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women/ newborns, work injury victims, the poor and the vulnerable.[35]