So ends October

This is the end of National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the U.S. The month began with U.S. Attourney General Gonzales bragging about the Bush administration record in settling ADA cases and improving access for disabled Americans. I thought I'd end the month with some facts from the U.S. Census Bureau. Take note of the very last statistic, especially:

51.2 million or 18% of the population -- Number of people who have some level of disability.

32.5 million or 12% of the population -- Number of people with a severe disability.

4 million or 11% -- Children ages 6 to 14 who have a disability.

72% -- People 80 and older with disabilities, the highest of any age group.

20% -- Females with a disability, higher than the 17 percent of males. On the other hand, among children under 15, boys were more likely than girls to have a disability (11 percent versus 6 percent).

Using or Needing Assistance

10.7 million or 4% -- People age 6 and older who need personal assistance with one or more activities of daily living (such as taking a bath or shower) or instrumental activities of daily living (such as using the telephone).

2.7 million -- Number of people age 15 and older who use a wheelchair. Another 9.1 million use an ambulatory aid such as a cane, crutches or walker.

Specific Disabilities

1.8 million -- Number of people age 15 and older who report being unable to see.

1 million -- Number of people age 15 and older who report being unable to hear.

2.6 million -- Number of people age 15 and older who have some difficulty having their speech understood by others. Of this number, 610,000 were unable to have their speech understood at all.

14.3 million or 6% of the population -- Number of people with limitations in cognitive functioning or a mental or emotional illness that interferes with their daily activities. This includes those with Alzheimer’s disease, depression and mental retardation.

On the Job

11.8 million or 6% -- Number of 16- to 64-year-olds who reported the presence of a medical condition that makes it difficult to find a job or remain employed.

56% -- People ages 21 to 64 having some type of disability and also employed in the last year. The rate ranged from 82 percent of those with a nonsevere disability to 43 percent with a severe disability. For those without a disability, the rate is 88 percent.

44% -- People with a nonsevere disability who work full time, year-round. This compares to 53 percent without a disability and 13 percent with a severe disability.

Income and Poverty

$22,000 -- Median earnings for people with a nonsevere disability. This compares to $25,000 for those with no disability and $12,800 for those with a severe disability.

18% -- People with a nonsevere disability and household incomes of $80,000 or more. By comparison, 26 percent of people without a disability had household incomes of $80,000 or more with the same being true of 9 percent of those with a severe one.

11% -- The poverty rate for people ages 25 to 64 with a nonsevere disability. This compares to 26 percent for those with a severe disability and 8 percent of those without a disability.