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ADA opened doors for millions with disabilities

Posted Jul 26, 2010 by Jeff Scullin

Updated Jul 26, 2010 at 12:47 PM

Twenty years ago, the federal Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, guaranteeing equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. This is why buses now come equipped with wheelchair lifts, new buildings must come equipped with ramps and elevators, interpretors must be provided for the deaf and hard of hearing at public events—and a host of other changes that have become common in the United States. The impact of the ADA has been sweeping and has—literally and metaphorically—opened many doors that were closed before.

Just how many people does the law directly impact? Here are some numbers from the Americans with Disabilities report the U.S. Census Bureau put out in 2005:

54 million people in the United States have a disability
11 million people 6 and older need personal assistance with everyday activities
3.3 million people 15 and older use a wheelchair
10 million people use an aid to walk, such as a cane or a walker
16.1 million people have limited cognitive abilities. That number includes people with mental and emotional illnesses, Alheizmer’s disease and mental retardation.


Who is disabled?

According to the Census’ 2008 American Community Survey:

5 percent of children 5 to 17 have disabilities.
10 percent of people 18 to 64 have disabilities.
38 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
12.4 percent of women have a disability, compared with 11.7 percent of men


Many people classified as disabled are able to work – 46 percent of those between 21 and 64, according to the Census’ 2005 report. Of those disabled people who work, 31 percent reported having a severe disability; 48 percent of those without severe disabilities worked full-time.


People with disabilities tend to be less educated. Twenty-eight percent of people 25 and older with a disability lacked a high school diploma, compared to 12 percent of people without a disability, according to the 2008 American Community Survey. Among that same age group, 13 percent of those with disabilities had a bachelor’s or higher level degree, compared to 31 percent of those without a disability.