Massage Therapy Journal Fall 2024

Fall 2024 • 41

There are two broad types of disabilities: physical and mental. Physical disabilities are problems with the body, such as the muscles, joints, eyes, ears or lungs, which make it hard for a person to move, see, hear or breathe. Mental disabilities are problems with the brain or nervous system, and can cause problems with mental processes such as thinking or handling emotions or interpreting information, such as processing sensory information correctly. People with a mental disability may also have trouble learning, remembering or with social interactions. Difficulties in communicating can occur in either physical or mental disabilities. The ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. This legislation also requires reasonable access and accommodations for individuals with disabilities. Examples of reasonable access and accommodations include parking spaces with ramps instead of steps at entrances and enough space within serving/selling areas, doorways, aisles and bathrooms to allow for mobility aids. Disability Statistics: What You Need to Know Globally, an estimated one billion people, or approximately 15 percent of the population, live with a disability. They are the world’s largest minority. Females report higher incidence rates of disability compared with males. Only 45 out of 195 countries have anti-discrimination and other disability specific laws. 10 Over three million children in the United States, or almost five percent of those 18 years of age or younger, have a disability. The most common disability type among children is a learning disability. 11 Approximately 61 million adults in the United States have a disability, which represents 26 percent of the adult population or one in four adults. 12 These statistics reflect a growing population and a rise in the number of noninfectious conditions such as obesity,

Disability Statistics 15% of the population lives with a disability 5%

lung and heart disease, diabetes and dementia in this population. The number of older adults who have a disability is significantly higher compared with other populations. Those who live in poverty are more likely to have a disability. 11 Asian and Hispanic Americans are the least likely to have a disability. Black and white Americans who have a disability fall somewhere in the middle of these populations. The most common types of disabilities involve difficulty walking, living independently or with mental processes (thinking, remembering, handling emotions). Disabled Americans are also less likely to own or use digital devices, including smartphones. 13 This digital divide is currently one of the big discrimination debates as more businesses move toward a paperless system, making it more difficult for people to access services and gather information. of those 18 years of age or younger have a disability 1 in 4 adults has a disability The United States Census Bureau projects that people 65 years and older will outnumber children aged 18 and below by 2030

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