​​Disability


The Employment gap 
between those with a disability and those without has widened steadily over the past 8 years from 38.8 to 41.1 percentage points.


More than one in five (21,2%) US civilians with disabilities of working-age in 2015 were living in poverty.  For US civilians of working-age without disabilities, the national poverty rate was 13.8%.


According to 2015 data, the median earnings of US civilians with disabilities ages 16 and over was $21,572, about two-thirds of the median earnings of people without disabilities ($31,874).


Employment rates vary by type of disability.  Employment rates are highest for people with hearing (51.0%) and vision disabilities (41.8%) and lowest for people with self-care (15.6%) and independent living disabilities (16.4%).


In 2016, 20.0 percent of people with a disability participated in the labor force and 86.5 percent of people with a disability participated in the labor force.  The labor force participation rate for men with a disability increased from 22.8 percent in 2015 to 23.7 percent in 2016.  The labor force participation rate for women with a disability, 16.9 percent in 2016, changed little over the year.  







*Data (A C S ). ( B L S).

Did you know that globally, people with disabilities represent an emerging market equally the size of China? Or that people with disabilities constitute the nation’s largest minority group…AND the only group that any of us can become a member of, at any time.

Of the 69.6 million families in the United States, more than 20 million have at least one family member with a disability.  Over 65% of working-age adults with disabilities are unemployed. Of these working adults, nearly one-third earn an income below the poverty level.
 


Hearing 


A CDC study that followed school-aged children identified with hearing loss into young adulthood (21 through 25 years of age) found that about 40% of young adults with hearing loss identified during childhood reported experiencing at least one limitation in daily functioning.

Hearing loss can affect a child’s ability to develop communication, language, and social skills. The earlier children with hearing loss start getting services, the more likely they are to reach their full potential. If you are a parent and you suspect your child has hearing loss, trust your instincts and speak with your child’s doctor. Don’t wait!

 
ASD

Research has shown that a diagnosis of autism at age 2 can be reliable, valid, and stable. Even though ASD can be diagnosed as early as age 2 years, most children are not diagnosed with ASD until after age 4 years.

Studies have shown that parents of children with ASD notice a developmental problem before their child's first birthday. Concerns about vision and hearing were more often reported in the first year, and differences in social, communication, and fine motor skills were evident from 6 months of age.


Vision

In the United States, the most prevalent disabling childhood conditions are vision disorders including amblyopia, strabismus, and significant refractive errors. Early detection increases the likelihood of effective treatment; however, less than 15% of all preschool children receive an eye exam, and less than 22% of preschool children receive some type of vision screening. Vision screening for children scored on par with breast cancer screening for women. Other eye diseases affecting this age group include retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), congenital defects, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and cancers such as retinoblastoma. 

 

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