Disability

Disability has different definitions depending on where and how it is used. In the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability means that a person has a substantial physical or mental impairment or a history of one, or is treated as if they do, by a group or entity covered by the ADA.

[ Read: Who Is Protected by the ADA? ]


Related Resources

Articles

Blogs

Pages

News

Webinars

  • ADA 101.1 Defining Disability
    03/26/2021- This presentation builds on the introduction to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) given in the webinar ADA 101. Intended for those new to the ADA or for those wanting a refresher, this webinar...

Documents

Infographics

2017 Disability Statistics - Prevalence (US)
Infographic featuring text on top of an outline of a U.S. map along with icons representing various disability types.
In the US, there are 41 Million people with a disability. (A person can report one or more of six disability types).
20.9 Million people have an ambulatory disability.
15.4 Million people have a cognitive disability.
14.6 Million people have an independent living disability.
11.5 Million people have a hearing disability.
7.9 Million people have a self-care disability.
7.5 Million people have a visual disability.
Source: Erickson, W., Lee, C., & von Schrader, S. (2019). 2017 Disability Status Report: United States. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI).
If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the Northeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232.
2017 Disability Statistics - Prevalence (NY)
Infographic featuring text on top of an outline of New York State along with icons representing various disability types.
In New York State, there are 2.3 Million people with a disability. (A person can report one or more of six disability types).
1.2 Million people have an ambulatory disability.
895 thousand people have an independent living disability.
835 thousand people have a cognitive disability.
554 thousand people have a hearing disability.
512 thousand people have a self-care disability.
406 thousand people have a visual disability.
Source: Erickson, W., Lee, C., & von Schrader, S. (2019). 2017 Disability Status Report: United States. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI).
If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the Northeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232
2017 Disability Statistics - Prevalence (NJ)
Infographic featuring text on top of an outline of New Jersey along with icons representing various disability types.
In New Jersey, there are 912 thousand people with a disability. (A person can report one or more of six disability types).
479 thousand people have an ambulatory disability.
358 people have an independent living disability.
336 thousand people have a cognitive disability.
222 thousand people have a hearing disability.
196 thousand people have a self-care disability.
167 thousand people have a visual disability.
Source: Erickson, W., Lee, C., & von Schrader, S. (2019). 2017 Disability Status Report: United States. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI).
If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the Northeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232.
2017 Disability Statistics - Prevalence (PR) - English
Infographic featuring text on top of an outline of Puerto Rico along with icons representing various disability types.
In Puerto Rico, there are 716 thousand people with a disability. (A person can report one or more of six disability types).
388 thousand people have an ambulatory disability.
324 thousand people have an independent living disability.
314 thousand people have a cognitive disability.
218 thousand people have a visual disability.
187 thousand people have a self-care disability.
155 thousand people have a hearing disability.
Source: Erickson, W., Lee, C., & von Schrader, S. (2019). 2017 Disability Status Report: United States. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI).
If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the Northeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232.
2010 Disability Statistics - Prevalence (USVI)
Infographic featuring text on top of an outline of the U.S. Virgin Islands along with icons representing various disability types.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, there are 10,372 people with a disability. (A person can report one or more of six disability types).
5,468 people have an ambulatory disability.
3,480 people have a visual disability.
3,354 people have an independent living disability.
3,170 people have a cognitive disability.
2,151 people have a hearing disability.
1,791 people have a self-care disability.
Source: Erickson, W. (2014). Disability Status Report: U.S. Virgin Islands. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute (YTI). http://disabilitystatistics.org/reports/2010/English/2010-PDF/2010-StatusReport_USVI.pdf
If you have questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact the Northeast ADA Center at 1-800-949-4232.