Current Research: Latest Disability Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
National Health Interview Survey on Disability (NHIS-D)
The NCHS is the nation’s principal health statistics agency. Through a collaborative of several federal agencies, data on various aspects of disability is collected through national surveys.
Americans with Disabilities: 2005
U.S. Census Bureau Press Release, December 18, 2008
“About one in five U.S. residents — 19 percent — reported some level of disability in 2005, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.... These 54.4 million Americans are roughly equal to the combined total populations of California and Florida. Both the number and percentage of people with disabilities were higher than in 2002, the last time the Census Bureau collected such information. At that time, 51.2 million, or 18 percent, reported a disability.”
2006 American Community Survey (ACS) Tables
The ACS provides detailed information for numerous sub-national geographic levels that have populations of 65,000 or more. The tables include status with respect to disability, education, employment, poverty and median earnings.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
Health Data for All Ages — Health Status and Disability
The Health Status and Disability site provides data tables for health status by state and age, including detail for the percent of the population that have physical activity limitations by race and gender (all ages) and limitations due to mental health by gender, race and age cohort.
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
and the National Institute on Aging (NIA)
The Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA)
LSOA is a collaborative project of NCHS and the NIA. The multicohort study measured changes in the health, functional status, living arrangements, and health services use of persons 70 years of age and over. The site provides results from surveys conducted in 1984–1990 and 1994–2000 that illustrate changes in health across two cohorts of elderly Americans.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Office of Disability Policy — Annual Statistical Supplement, 2004
SSA’s Office of Disability Policy compiles statistics on the impact and operation of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs and on the earnings of the working and beneficiary populations. The office provides detailed statistical tables and publications, including its Annual Statistical Supplement.
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients by State and County
These tables present SSI data by eligibility category (aged, blind, and disabled) and age. State data on the number of recipients and amount of payments are provided in Tables 1 and 2. Statistics for SSI recipients receiving Social Security (Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) benefits are provided in Table 1 (state level) and in Table 3 (county level).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
Trends in Health and Aging — Functional Status and Disability
The Trends in Health and Aging site provides data tables for functional status and disability, including detail for activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, physical functioning and summary measures. The main categories are further categorized by race/ethnicity, age, gender, etc.