Demographics of Disability

Mapping disability is quite challenging, especially in developing countries where sources on disability information are relatively in short supply, while conceptual and methodological differences are plentiful. Besides, disability is an evolving concept that depends on the interaction between the individual and the community at large and, moreover, on developments in the medical and technological fields.

The United Nations notes that in countries with life expectancies of over 70 years, individuals spend an average of 8 years of their life (or 11.5 per cent) living with disabilities. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 14 to 34 per cent of children in developing countries have some kind of disability.[1] In 2007, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported that 30.2 million people in OECD member countries received disability benefits.[2]  Moreover, in the United States of America, people with disabilities constitute the third largest minority group, representing some 37.8 million individuals.[3]

The World Bank notes that persons with disabilities comprise 15 to 20 per cent of the poor in developing countries, and are considered as the most disadvantaged group in their own communities.[4]  Meanwhile, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) claims that the mortality rates among children with disabilities is 80 per cent and that 98 per cent of children with disabilities in developing countries are not enrolled in schools, thereby reducing their likelihood to access training and employment opportunities.[5]

There is a general consensus that an inverse relationship exists between disability status and access to education and employment opportunities, with researchers quoting the figure of 3 per cent literacy rate for adults with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are at least twice as likely as non-disabled counterparts to be unemployed, and their earnings are substantially lower.[6]  In industrialized countries, 50 to 70 per cent of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed; this figure rises to 80 and 90 per cent in developing countries.[7]

With regards to gender, women with disabilities are overtly disadvantaged in terms of accessing adequate housing, health, education, vocational training and employment; and are more likely to be abused and institutionalized.  They also experience inequality with respect to being hired, promoted and paid for equal work, and rarely participate in public decision-making. In the majority of OECD member countries, women report more disability incidents and claim more disability benefits than men.[8]  It is argued that as more women enter the job market, they become more vulnerable to stress-related disabilities given that they have to cope with the dual functions of working and taking care of their families. In terms of spatial differentials, higher disability rates are found in rural areas.[9]

While disability can strike individuals at all stages of life, the prevalence and severity of disability is more visible as people age. Moreover, while research ascertains that more persons with disabilities live in poorer countries, disability rates appear to be higher in more developed countries. These findings could be attributed to the fact that life expectancy is higher in more developed countries, which translates into more cases of certain types of age-related impairments as people grow old. Another explanation could relate to the capacity of these countries to better diagnose and report different types of disability.[10]