Census Data on Disabled

Some 13.5 million people reported to the Census Bureau that they not merely had difficulty performing one or more of these functions, but could not perform the activities specified at all or could not perform them without help. Among the significant findings of the Census Bureau study are: - Some 12.8 million people, or 7.1 percent of the population, had trouble seeing words and letters in ordinary newsprint, even with glasses or contact lenses. Approximately 1.7 million could not see words or letters at all. - About 7.7 million people had trouble hearing a normal conversation, and one-half million were completely unable to hear such a conversation. - Some 2.5 million people had problems having their speech understood by others. - About 19.2 million had difficulty walking a quarter of a mile, including 8 million who reported they were unable to walk that far. - Some 18.1 million people had trouble walking up a flight of stairs without resting and 5.2 million could not do so on their own. - About 18.2 million persons had trouble lifting or carrying something as heavy as a bag full of groceries, and 17.8 million of them could not do so. - Some 6 million individuals had trouble getting around outside of the home, and 3.6 million of them could not do so on their own. - Approximately 2.5 million people had trouble getting around inside the home, and 1.2 million were unable to do so without help. - Some 2.1 million people had difficulty getting into or out of bed, and 1.2 million could not do so on their own.4