CB12-FF.16 

 July 25, 2012 

Anniversary of Americans with 

Disabilities Act: July 26
 

This day marks the 22nd 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. 

The statistics below come from “Americans with Disabilities: 2010” 

<www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-131.pdf>. 

Population Distribution 

57 million 

Number of people with a disability living in the United States in 2010. They represent 19 percent 

of the civilian noninstitutionalized population. 

By age — 

• 8 percent of children under 15 have disabilities. 

• 21 percent of people 15 and older have disabilities. 

• 17 percent of people 21 to 64 have disabilities. 

• 50 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities. 

<Table 1> 

20% 

Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 17 percent of males. (When adjusted for 

the aging of the population, the disability rate was 18 percent for both males and females). 

<Table 2> 
Specific Disabilities 

8 million 

Number of people 15 and older who have a hearing difficulty. Among people 65 and older, 4 

million have difficulty hearing. 

8 million 

Number of people 15 and older with a vision difficulty. 

31 million 

Number of people 15 and older who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs. 

<Table A-1> 

4 million 

Number of people who used a wheelchair to assist with mobility. This compares with 12 million 

people who used a cane, crutches or walker. 

<Table A-1> 

On the Job 

41% 

Percentage of people 21 to 64 with a disability who were employed. 

28% 

Percentage of people 21 to 64 with severe disabilities who were employed. This compares with 

71 percent for individuals with nonsevere disabilities. 

<Table A-2> 

Income and Poverty 

$1,961 

Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with a disability, compared with $2,724 for those 

with no disability. 

$1,577 

Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with severe disabilities, while those with nonsevere 

disabilities had median monthly earnings of $2,402. 

$2,838 

Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with disabilities associated only with 

communication, including blindness or difficulty seeing, deafness or difficulty hearing, and 

difficulty having speech understood. 
29% 

Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who were in poverty, while 18 percent 

with nonsevere disabilities were in poverty. 

Program Participation 

59% 

Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive public assistance. Thirty-three 

percent receive social security benefits. This compares with 9 percent of adults 15 to 64 with 

nonsevere disabilities that receive Social Security benefits. 

28% 

Percentage of adults with severe disabilities who receive food stamp benefits, compared with 8 

percent for those with no disability. 

11% 

Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive public housing assistance. 

This compares with 9 percent of people 65 and older with severe disabilities. 

Health Insurance 

48% 

Percentage of adults 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive government health coverage. 

40% 

Percentage of adults 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who have private health insurance 

coverage. 

23% 

Percentage of people with severe disabilities who receive Medicare coverage. 

35% 

Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who receive Medicaid, while 9 percent 

have dual coverage, receiving Medicare and Medicaid benefits. 

21% 

Percentage of people 15 to 64 with severe disabilities who were uninsured, not statistically 

different from the 21 percent of those with nonsevere disabilities. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau’s Facts for Features 

series: 

African-American History Month (February)

Super Bowl 

Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14)

Women’s History Month (March) 

Irish-American Heritage Month (March)/ 

 St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May) 

Older Americans Month (May) 

Cinco de Mayo (May 5) 

Mother’s Day 

Hurricane Season Begins (June 1) 

Father’s Day 

The Fourth of July (July 4) 

 Labor Day 

Grandparents Day 

 Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) 

Unmarried and Single Americans Week 

Halloween (Oct. 31)

 American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month 

 (November) 

Veterans Day (Nov. 11) 

Thanksgiving Day 

The Holiday Season (December) 

Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (July 26) 

Back to School (August) 

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling 

variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an 

observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to 

the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; or e-mail: <pio@census.gov>.