July 26 will mark the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. Here are some statistics about disabled Americans from the U.S. Census Bureau:
- There are 36 million disabled Americans, representing 12 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population.
- 10.2 million people have a hearing difficulty.
- 6.5 million people have a vision difficulty.
- 13.5 million people age 5 and older have difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions.
- 19.4 million people age 5 and older have difficulty walking or climbing stairs.
- To get to work, 6 percent of disabled workers age 16 and older use public transportation, 70 percent drive alone, 13 percent carpool, 4 percent walk, and 3 percent use a taxicab, motorcycle, bicycle or other means.
- The educational services and health care and social assistance industries employs 22 percent of disabled workers age 16 and older, the highest percentage of any industry.
- Of disabled people age 16 and older, 72 percent are not in the labor force. Twenty-seven percent of people without a disability are not in the labor force.
- Of the population age 16 and older with a disability, 21 percent are below the poverty level. Eleven percent of the population age 16 and older without a disability are below the poverty level.
- Of people age 25 and older with a disability, 28 percent have less than a high school graduate education. This compares with 12 percent for those with no disability.
- Of people 25 and older with a disability, 13 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher. This compares with 31 percent for those with no disability.