In 2023, the U.S. states with the highest share of the population that had a disability were West Virginia, Arkansas, and Kentucky. At that time, around 19.7 percent of the population of West Virginia had some form of disability. The states with the lowest rates of disability were New Jersey, Utah, and Minnesota. Disability in the United States A disability is any condition, either physical or mental, that impairs one’s ability to do certain activities. Some examples of disabilities are those that affect one’s vision, hearing, movement, or learning. It is estimated that around 14 percent of the population in the United States suffers from some form of disability. The prevalence of disability increases with age, with 46 percent of those aged 75 years and older with a disability, compared to just six percent of those aged 5 to 15 years. Vision impairment One common form of disability comes from vision impairment. In 2023, around 3.6 percent of the population of West Virginia had a vision disability, meaning they were blind or had serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses. The leading causes of visual disability are age-related and include diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration. This is clear when viewing the prevalence of vision disability by age. It is estimated that 8.3 percent of those aged 75 years and older in the United States have a vision disability, compared to 4.3 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and only 0.9 percent of those aged 5 to 15 years.

As of 2023, almost eight percent of those living in the state of West Virginia had a cognitive disability, such as Down syndrome, autism or dementia. This statistic shows the percentage of people in the U.S. who had a cognitive disability as of 2023, by state.

The prevalence of disabilities in the United States shows a clear correlation with age, with nearly half of Americans aged 75 and older experiencing some form of disability. This stark contrast to younger age groups highlights the increasing challenges faced by the elderly population in maintaining their independence and quality of life. Disability rates across age groups According to 2023 data, only 0.7 percent of children under 5 years old have a disability, compared to 6.3 percent of those aged 5 to 15. The percentage rises steadily with age, reaching 11.2 percent for adults between 21 and 64 years old. A significant jump occurs in the 65 to 74 age group, where 23.9 percent have a disability. The most dramatic increase is seen in those 75 and older, with 45.3 percent experiencing some form of disability. These figures underscore the importance of accessible services and support systems for older Americans. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) The prevalence of disabilities among younger Americans has significant implications for the education system. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law in the United States that guarantees the right to a free appropriate education for children with disabilities. In the 2021/22 academic year, 7.26 million disabled individuals aged 3 to 21 were covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This number includes approximately 25,000 children with traumatic brain injuries and 434,000 with intellectual disabilities.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - With a Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU04074597) from Jun 2008 to May 2025 about disability, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Population - With a Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU00074597) from Jun 2008 to May 2025 about disability, civilian, 16 years +, population, and USA.

Users can access data pertaining to individuals with disabilities. Topics include but are not limited to: people with disabilities’ access to employment, technology, healthcare, and community based services. Background The Disability Statistics Center is based at the Institute for Health and Aging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The Disability Statistics Center generates reports ranging from employment opportunities, Medicaid home and community-based services, mobility device use, computer and internet use, wheelchair use, vocational rehabilitation, education, medical expenditures, and functional limitations among people with disabilities. User functiona lity Data is presented in report or abstract form and can be downloaded in PDF or HTML formats by clicking on the publications link. All reports and abstracts use United States data. Additional data sources are listed under “Finding Disability Data” and include data from the United States as well as international data. Data Notes The data sources are clearly referenced for each article. The most recent publications are from 2003. There is no indication on the site when the data will be updated.

The dataset includes fiscal year data for initial claims for SSA disability benefits that were referred to a state agency for a disability determination. Specific data elements for each year and state include receipts, determinations, eligible population, and favorable determination rates.

In 2023, the unemployment rate of persons with a disability was at 7.2 percent in the United States. This was a decrease from the previous year, when the unemployment rate was at 7.6 percent. The high unemployment among persons with disabilities may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has impacted everyone's employment, as can be seen in the unemployment rate of adults in the United States. The persons with a disability section of the Current Population Survey (CPS) is a set of six questions to identify persons who have physical, mental, or emotional conditions that cause serious difficulty with their daily activities. Disability in the labor force The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows the unemployment rate of persons with a disability that have the ability to participate in the civilian labor force. In 2020 around 20.5 percent of persons with disabilities in the United States participated in the civilian labor force. Among those capable of participating in the civilian labor force, persons with a disability tend to have a higher chance of employment the higher their level of education. Persons with a disability that had a bachelor's degree or higher had the highest employment rate in 2020 at 25.7 percent. Social Security benefits Due to the inability to work, or the lack of access to suitable employment, many persons with a disability rely on government sources for financial aid. A portion of civilian paychecks are taxed to fund programs like the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) which provide this aid. In 2018, around 12.46 million disabled persons received OASDI or SSI benefits in the United States.

The SCD Veterans are broken out by SCD ratings (0-20 percent; 30-40 percent; 50-60 percent and 70-100 percent) for FY 1986 to FY 2020. Source: Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Benefits Administration; 1985-1998: COIN CP-127 Reports; 1999-2019: Annual Benefits Reports Prepared by the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, Office of Enterprise Integration, Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2021

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate - With No Disability, 16 to 64 Years, Women (LNU01376945) from Jun 2008 to May 2025 about 16 to 64 years, disability, females, participation, civilian, labor force, labor, household survey, rate, and USA.

This report provides county-level estimates of the number of Veterans who received VA Disability Compensation benefits during fiscal year 2019. It includes the Veterans’ total service-connected disability (SCD) rating, age group, and sex. Blank values represent small cell counts that have been suppressed to protect the identity of Veterans. Some categories may not sum to the total due to missing information (e.g., age, sex, etc.). Source: Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Enterprise Integration, United States Veterans Eligibility Trends & Statistics (USVETS) 2019 Prepared by National Center for Veterans Analysis & Statistics, www.va.gov/vetdata

This layer shows disability status by sex and age group. This is shown by tract, county, and state boundaries. This service is updated annually to contain the most currently released American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data, and contains estimates and margins of error. There are also additional calculated attributes related to this topic, which can be mapped or used within analysis. This layer is symbolized to show the percentage of elderly (65+) with a disability. To see the full list of attributes available in this service, go to the "Data" tab, and choose "Fields" at the top right. Current Vintage: 2019-2023ACS Table(s): B18101Data downloaded from: Census Bureau's API for American Community Survey Date of API call: December 12, 2024National Figures: data.census.govThe United States Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS):About the SurveyGeography & ACSTechnical DocumentationNews & UpdatesThis ready-to-use layer can be used within ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, its configurable apps, dashboards, Story Maps, custom apps, and mobile apps. Data can also be exported for offline workflows. For more information about ACS layers, visit the FAQ. Please cite the Census and ACS when using this data.Data Note from the Census:Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see Accuracy of the Data). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables.Data Processing Notes:This layer is updated automatically when the most current vintage of ACS data is released each year, usually in December. The layer always contains the latest available ACS 5-year estimates. It is updated annually within days of the Census Bureau's release schedule. Click here to learn more about ACS data releases.Boundaries come from the US Census TIGER geodatabases, specifically, the National Sub-State Geography Database (named tlgdb_(year)_a_us_substategeo.gdb). Boundaries are updated at the same time as the data updates (annually), and the boundary vintage appropriately matches the data vintage as specified by the Census. These are Census boundaries with water and/or coastlines erased for cartographic and mapping purposes. For census tracts, the water cutouts are derived from a subset of the 2020 Areal Hydrography boundaries offered by TIGER. Water bodies and rivers which are 50 million square meters or larger (mid to large sized water bodies) are erased from the tract level boundaries, as well as additional important features. For state and county boundaries, the water and coastlines are derived from the coastlines of the 2023 500k TIGER Cartographic Boundary Shapefiles. These are erased to more accurately portray the coastlines and Great Lakes. The original AWATER and ALAND fields are still available as attributes within the data table (units are square meters).The States layer contains 52 records - all US states, Washington D.C., and Puerto RicoCensus tracts with no population that occur in areas of water, such as oceans, are removed from this data service (Census Tracts beginning with 99).Percentages and derived counts, and associated margins of error, are calculated values (that can be identified by the "_calc_" stub in the field name), and abide by the specifications defined by the American Community Survey.Field alias names were created based on the Table Shells file available from the American Community Survey Summary File Documentation page.Negative values (e.g., -4444...) have been set to null, with the exception of -5555... which has been set to zero. These negative values exist in the raw API data to indicate the following situations:The margin of error column indicates that either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute a standard error and thus the margin of error. A statistical test is not appropriate.Either no sample observations or too few sample observations were available to compute an estimate, or a ratio of medians cannot be calculated because one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or upper interval of an open-ended distribution.The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution, or in the upper interval of an open-ended distribution. A statistical test is not appropriate.The estimate is controlled. A statistical test for sampling variability is not appropriate.The data for this geographic area cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small.

Graph and download economic data for Employment-Population Ratio - With No Disability, 16 Years and over (LNU02374593) from Jun 2008 to Apr 2025 about disability, employment-population ratio, 16 years +, household survey, employment, population, and USA.

As of 2023, an estimated three percent of those living in the state of California had a hearing disability. This statistic shows the percentage of people in the U.S. who had a hearing disability as of 2023, by state.

Although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, the decennial census is the official source of population totals for April 1st of each decennial year. In between censuses, the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities, and towns and estimates of housing units and the group quarters population for states and counties..Information about the American Community Survey (ACS) can be found on the ACS website. Supporting documentation including code lists, subject definitions, data accuracy, and statistical testing, and a full list of ACS tables and table shells (without estimates) can be found on the Technical Documentation section of the ACS website.Sample size and data quality measures (including coverage rates, allocation rates, and response rates) can be found on the American Community Survey website in the Methodology section..Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.ACS data generally reflect the geographic boundaries of legal and statistical areas as of January 1 of the estimate year. For more information, see Geography Boundaries by Year..Data are based on a sample and are subject to sampling variability. The degree of uncertainty for an estimate arising from sampling variability is represented through the use of a margin of error. The value shown here is the 90 percent margin of error. The margin of error can be interpreted roughly as providing a 90 percent probability that the interval defined by the estimate minus the margin of error and the estimate plus the margin of error (the lower and upper confidence bounds) contains the true value. In addition to sampling variability, the ACS estimates are subject to nonsampling error (for a discussion of nonsampling variability, see ACS Technical Documentation). The effect of nonsampling error is not represented in these tables..Users must consider potential differences in geographic boundaries, questionnaire content or coding, or other methodological issues when comparing ACS data from different years. Statistically significant differences shown in ACS Comparison Profiles, or in data users' own analysis, may be the result of these differences and thus might not necessarily reflect changes to the social, economic, housing, or demographic characteristics being compared. For more information, see Comparing ACS Data..For cognitive difficulty, ambulatory difficulty, and self-care difficulty, the 'Population under 18 years' includes persons aged 5 to 17. Children under 5 are not included in these measures..Estimates of urban and rural populations, housing units, and characteristics reflect boundaries of urban areas defined based on 2020 Census data. As a result, data for urban and rural areas from the ACS do not necessarily reflect the results of ongoing urbanization..Explanation of Symbols:- The estimate could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations. For a ratio of medians estimate, one or both of the median estimates falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution. For a 5-year median estimate, the margin of error associated with a median was larger than the median itself.N The estimate or margin of error cannot be displayed because there were an insufficient number of sample cases in the selected geographic area. (X) The estimate or margin of error is not applicable or not available.median- The median falls in the lowest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "2,500-")median+ The median falls in the highest interval of an open-ended distribution (for example "250,000+").** The margin of error could not be computed because there were an insufficient number of sample observations.*** The margin of error could not be computed because the median falls in the lowest interval or highest interval of an open-ended distribution.***** A margin of error is not appropriate because the corresponding estimate is controlled to an independent population or housing estimate. Effectively, the corresponding estimate has no sampling error and the margin of error may be treated as zero.

Measures data in specific areas related to the employment of persons with disabilities. Gives labor force participation rates, work history, barriers to employment, and types of workplace accommodations for persons with disabilities.

Disability, Independence and Dependency Situations Survey: (**) Percentage of persons with disabilities, according to their state of health, by groups of impairment and sex. National.

United States - Unemployment Rate - With a Disability, 16 Years and over was 8.20% in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Unemployment Rate - With a Disability, 16 Years and over reached a record high of 18.90 in April of 2020 and a record low of 5.00 in December of 2022. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Unemployment Rate - With a Disability, 16 Years and over - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

As of 2023, an estimated four percent of those living in the state of West Virginia had a self-care disability. This statistic shows the percentage of people in the U.S. who had a self-care disability as of 2023, by state.

United States - Labor Force Participation Rate - With No Disability, 16 Years and over was 68.00% in April of 2025, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Labor Force Participation Rate - With No Disability, 16 Years and over reached a record high of 72.70 in July of 2008 and a record low of 65.20 in April of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Labor Force Participation Rate - With No Disability, 16 Years and over - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.