Disability statistics are a measure of who could be left out. Left out by education, healthcare, accessing online services, and left out by employment.
As well as making a case for accessibility, measuring how common different disabilities are also shows us that we need to:
- understand that disability is a normal part of life
- represent disabled people in every area of life and reflect society
- shrink the disability employment gap
It’s easy to find statistics about disability in different countries around the world. Getting disability statistics on a smaller scale is harder. Read on to find out why that’s ok and how it could change.
Disability statistics about society
Statistics about disability are available either from the census or from disability organisations, or a combination or both.
Content Design Ireland has used a combination of sources to collate a list of disability statistics in Ireland.
Disability statistics about where you work
It’s harder to get disability statistics when you’re looking at a small number of people, for example statistics for the organisation where you work. That’s because:
- people could be identifiable in statistics covering a small data set
- many disabilities are invisible (and nobody has the right to other people’s medical information anyway)
- disability is a really personal thing, and not everyone feels comfortable disclosing that information
To stop people being identifiable in granular data, it’s better to ask people about disability in general, rather than what their specific disability is, for workplace diversity reporting. However, that can make it harder to tell whether an organisation is good at hiring staff with all types of disabilities.
Remember that people feel more comfortable disclosing a disability when:
- disability is seen as a normal part of life
- an organisation embraces diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA)
As organisations become more DEIA friendly, accurate disability reporting might become easier.
Showing that disability is a normal part of life
Disability statistics show us how common disability is. For example, 22% of the population are disabled in Ireland (according to the 2022 census). If we don’t have figures like that, it becomes very easy to hide just how common disability is. It furthers ableist narratives about how non-disabled life is the norm, which could not be further from the truth. When we consider that more than 1 in 5 people are disabled, it’s obvious that everyone is likely to encounter disability at some point in their lives. That could be:
- direct personal experience of a disability
- indirect experience when a family member or friend becomes disabled
Most disabled people aren’t born with their disability. 70% of disabled people acquire a disability after the age of 16. Anyone could become disabled at any time.
Thinking about those numbers makes disability personal. It shows how you’re only ever temporarily not disabled. And that learning about disability and accessibility is futureproofing your own life.
Representing everyone and reflecting the society we live in
Disability statistics matter because representation matters. If we don’t know how many people are disabled, and how common different disabilities are, then how can we make sure we’re representing everyone?
When we know how common different disabilities are in our society, we can more accurately reflect the world we live in. By reflecting an accurate picture of the make-up of society, we make sure everyone is represented.
Representation means people can see people like themselves, taking part in all aspects of life. Representation matters because it:
- impacts societal attitudes
- promotes inclusivity
- breaks down stereotypes
- fosters empathy
- challenges negative narratives
- leads to a more inclusive and understanding society
On a more personal level, it can:
- influence the way people perceive themselves and their capabilities
- let people feel seen and heard
- strengthen people’s sense of belonging
Shrinking the disability employment gap
Without disability statistics, it would be impossible to measure the size of the disability employment gap - that’s the difference in the percentage of disabled people who are employed compared to the percentage of non-disabled people who are employed. The disability employment gap contributes to broader inequalities in:
- education
- employment
- social inclusion
According to the 2022 census, the disability employment gap is 38.6%. That’s much higher than the EU average of 24.4%.
In 2016, the census showed that Ireland’s disability employment gap was 36.3%. That means that the gap is getting bigger.
Without statistics about disability, we can’t measure:
- whether the disability employment gap is getting bigger or smaller
- how one country is doing compared with another
And we can’t begin to take proactive measures to shrink it.
These measurements also highlight where countries need to make improvements, and influence national policy.
Using disability statistics
Although we should not have to base people’s access to information on numbers, data is a powerful tool to emphasise the importance of creating an accessible world.
Thinking about a website, some questions to get started are:
- How many people visiting the website can’t see?
- How many people visiting the website can’t hear videos?
- How many people visiting the website have problems reading?
Numbers should not be used in isolation. When you use disability statistics, always ask the question:
So what does that mean for the website, product, service or experience we’re creating?