John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
A disability is any condition, physical or mental, that significantly impacts a person’s life activities. The most common types of disability affect mobility, hearing, vision, and cognition. As of 2021, around 13.5 percent of the U.S. population had some type of disability. Disability is more common among older individuals, with around 46 percent of those aged 75 years and older living with a disability.
The most common types of disabilities
The most common type of disability in the U.S. are ambulatory disabilities, which affects a person’s mobility. In 2021, an estimated 4.7 percent of those aged 21 to 64 years and 30 percent of people aged 75 years and older had such a disability. Ambulatory disabilities are most common in the states of West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky. The states with the lowest rates of ambulatory disability are Utah and Colorado, with four and 4.6 percent of the population of these states with this disability, respectively. The most common type of disability among those aged 20 years and below are cognitive disabilities. Those with cognitive disabilities have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental or emotional condition.Employment among those with disabilities
Because disabilities affect a person’s ability to perform everyday activities, they can significantly impact one’s ability to work. In 2021, the employment rate among those with a disability was 41 percent, compared to almost 77 percent for those without a disability. Those with hearing disabilities are employed at higher rates than any other disability, with almost 56 percent of this population employed, compared to 48 percent of people with a vision disability, and 34 percent of those with a cognitive disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 protects the rights of those suffering from a disability and makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against people with disabilities in various ways. However, a lack of understanding and negative attitudes towards such employees can still adversely affect employment opportunities for those with disabilities.
