Disability

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

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

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.

This booklet of long-term care and disability research has been prepared by the Division of Long-Term Care and Aging Policy, Office of Family, Community and Long-Term Care Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. It summarizes the results of the Division's research projects from 1989 through the present and highlights future plans.

The 1982 and 1984 National Long-Term Care Surveys (NLTCS) are household surveys of functionally impaired Medicare beneficiaries age 65+. The 1989 NTLCS is a resurveying of this population.