Family Village University

Health and Disability Statistics

Guides to Using Data

• Understanding disability statistics
  The terminology and concepts used in statistical analysis are familiar to researchers, but may be unfamiliar to lay people. Advocates in the disability community and scholars in disability studies bring an understanding of the social values that underlie the way "disability" is defined in the major surveys. All can benefit from an understanding of how social definitions of disability shape the way it is measured and the methods and terms used in measurement. From The Disability Statistics Center.

Data Sources
 

• Access to Disability Data
  From the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

• Center for Personal Assistance Services
  The Center for Personal Assistance Services has compiled state and national data on the prevalence of overall disability and of self-care difficulty, by gender, age, race and ethnicity, type of disability, family income, benefit recipiency, employment status, and living arrangement.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • Disability
    Labor force, employment, and unemployment statistics for persons with or without a disability
    
• Disability Statistics.org
  Access comprehensive, up-to-date U.S. disability statistics via graphs & charts, tables, and written descriptions.  Currently, all statistics are estimated by Cornell University using the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey - Annual Demographic Supplement.
  
• National Center for Education Statistics
  The Center is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.
  
  • Special Populations
    
  • Students with Disabilities
    
• Disability Statistics Center - UCSF
  The Disability Statistics Center produces and disseminates policy-relevant statistical information on the demographics and status of people with disabilities in American society. The Center's work focuses on how that status is changing over time with regard to employment, access to technology, health care, community-based services, and other aspects of independent living and participation in society.
• International Center for Disability Information Data Tables
  The Disability Data Tables contained in this site were obtained from various sources (referenced with each table). They are organized and maintained by the International Center for Disability Information (ICDI).
  
• Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
  MEPS is the third (and most recent) in a series of national probability surveys conducted by AHRQ on the financing and utilization of medical care in the United States. 
  
• National Center for Health Statistics
  Part of the CDC, the mission of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is to provide statistical information that will guide actions and policies to improve the health of the American people. As the Nation's principal health statistics agency, NCHS leads the way with accurate, relevant, and timely data.
• National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.)
  Provides timely survey research data on the participation of people with disabilities in American life.
• Research & Training Center on Community Living
  Annual surveys of states to assess residential services, analysis of the National Health Interview Survey findings to learn about people with disabilities living in their own or family homes, and periodic specialized analysis of other data sets. Many common questions about who, how many and where can be found in the published reports posted on this part of the RTC web site.
  
• Statistics Canada
  
  • Disability
  • Health and well-being (youth)
    Children’s and youths’ health, chronic health conditions, disability, and limitations in day-to-day activities. Activity limitations include hearing, vision, communication and speaking, mobility, dexterity, learning, developmental, emotional, or psychological conditions.
    
• U.S. Census Bureau
  
  • Disability Statistics
    
  • Health Insurance Statistics
    
  • "We the Americans" Statistics
     
• United Nations Statistics Division - Human functioning and disability
  The United Nations Statistics Division has initiated a systematic and regular collection of basic statistics on human functioning and disability by introducing a disability statistics questionnaire (PDF 76 KB) to the existing Demographic Yearbook data collection system. The United Nations Statistics Division is currently testing the disability questionnaire and developing tabulation and dissemination plans.
• United States Department of Labor Disability Statistics
  Provides limited data on employment of people with disabilities.
  
• WHOSIS
  The WHO Statistical Information System is the guide to health and health-related epidemiological and statistical information available from the World Health Organization. Most WHO technical programs make statistical information available, and they will be linked from here. You also have the possibility to search by keywords within the WHOSIS or throughout the entire WHO site.