People with Disabilities

A large minority of Americans (42.7 million or 17.2%) have disabilities, 12.7 million of whom need long-term care. About 29.7% of all people with disabilities and 5% of the entire population need long-term care.

Most adults with disabilities are in their working (not their elderly) years. According to the 1990 Survey of Income and Program Participation, among the civilian non-institutionalized population, 20,266,000 adults in their working years (18-64) and 15,413,000 elderly persons (65+) reported a disability.

According to the 1990 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and data from institutions, 4,536,000 children under 18 were reported as having a disability, with 4,444,500 living in the community and 91,800 residing in institutions.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The Disabled Elderly and Their Use of Long-Term Care

This paper presents some preliminary findings on board and care at the national level. The data indicate that there were about 34,000 licensed board and care homes in 1991. Over three fifths were run on a for profit basis. Non profits and government sponsored board and care homes were more likely than for profits to serve the mentally ill and MR/DD populations.

According to the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey, elderly persons with severe disabilities (defined as needing assistance with one or more activities of daily living) had out-of-pocket health care expenses nearly four times greater than persons without disabilities. Approximately 9% of the elderly population was categorized as having a severe disability.

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services   Disability, Health Insurance Coverage, and Utilization of Acute Health Services in the United States Executive Summary

Board and care homes are non-medical community-based facilities that provide at least two meals a day and routine protective oversight to one or more residents with functional limitations. Unweighted data from the 1991 National Health Provider Inventory (NHPI) indicate that there were about 30,000 licensed board and care homes in the United States serving over half a million persons.

Since 1984, a number of welfare reform proposals intended to lessen dependence on AFDC have been enacted. The current Administration is continuing to address welfare dependency. The purpose of this paper is to update results on the disability status of women of AFDC based on the 1990 SIPP with welfare reform in mind.

Landmark legislation has the power to change people's lives for many years to come. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990, is landmark legislation for Americans with disabilities. The four goals of the ADA — equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency — are broad in scope and bold in nature.