Disability and Functioning (Noninstitutionalized Adults Aged 18 and Over)
Data are for the U.S.
Selected sensory problems
- Number of adults with hearing trouble: 37.8 million
- Percent of adults with hearing trouble: 15.4%
- Number of adults with vision trouble: 25.5 million
- Percent of adults with vision trouble: 10.4%
Difficulties in physical functioning
- Number of adults unable (or very difficult) to walk a quarter mile: 17.1 million
- Percent of adults unable (or very difficult) to walk a quarter mile: 7.0%
- Number of adults with any physical functioning difficulty: 39.5 million
- Percent of adults with any physical functioning difficulty: 16.1%
Level of reported difficulty in six domains of functioning (seeing, hearing, mobility, communication, cognition, self-care)
- Number of adults aged 18 and over reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 20.2 million (2016)
- Percent of adults aged 18 and over reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 8.6% (2016)
- Number of adults aged 65 and over reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 8.5 million (2016)
- Percent of adults aged 65 and over reporting a lot of difficulty or cannot do at all in at least one domain of functioning: 18.2% (2016)
Source: Health, United States, 2017, table 42 [PDF – 9.8 MB]
Need help with personal care
- Percent of adults aged 65-74 who need help with personal care from other persons: 3.4%
- Percent of adults aged 75 and over who need help with personal care from other persons: 10.8%
Related FastStats
More data
Related Links
- National Health Interview Survey
- National Health Interview Survey on Disability
- Disability and Health Data System
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)
- Washington Group on Disability Statistics
- Page last reviewed: May 3, 2017
- Page last updated: May 3, 2017
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