A slight increase in the percentage of respondents with a disability was reported with each new survey. GVU's WWW User Surveys. The small but steady growth seen in the GVU WWW User Surveys does show an increase in the participation of people with disabilities on the Internet. The low numbers of people who identified themselves as having a disability may reflect the online, self-selecting nature of the survey, and reinforces the fact that many people with disabilities may not have access to computers or may have problems accessing information on the World Wide Web. Estimates of the total number of Americans with disabilities vary, depending on the criteria used and the extent of limitations due to disabling conditions.
Poverty is a consideration that impacts disability rates.
The poverty rate for partnered families without disability is 7.8 percent. In partnered families, the poverty rate increases to 14.2 percent when both partners have disabilities. The poverty rate rises to 20.8 percent in partnered families with both one partner and one child with a disability. The incidence of disability among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. also varies. U.S. Government Printing Office.