CDC: 1 in 4 U.S. adults has disability

One in four U.S. adults has a disability that impacts major life activities, including 40 percent of adults age 65 and older, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The most common disability type – mobility, or serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs – affects one in seven adults. Other disabilities examined and their prevalence in adults include cognition (10.8 percent), independent living (6.8 percent), hearing (5.9 percent), vision (4.6 percent) and self-care (3.7 percent). The report also notes disability-specific differences in the ability to access health care. Generally, adults with vision disability report the least access to health care, while adults with self-care disability report the most access to care. “People with disabilities will benefit from care coordination and better access to health care and the health services they need, so that they adopt healthy behaviors and have better health,” said Georgina Peacock, M.D., director of CDC’s Division of Human Development and Disability.