Demographics

• In 1991, 4.2 million Canadians, 16% of the population, reported some level of disability. Of the 4.2 million Canadians with disabilities, 3.9 million live in households and 300,000 live in institutions.

  
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• Disability rates increase regularly with age, from 7% of children under the age of 14, to 50% of those over age 65. As the Canadian population ages, the prevalence of disabilities among the population rise.

  
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Employment

• Persons with disabilities have a lower rate of employment as well as a lower participation rate in the labour force than those without disabilities. Limited employment opportunities for persons with disabilities may discourage many from actively searching for work.

  
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• The majority of persons with disabilities have mild disabilities. This group has a very high participation rate in the labour force. Persons with severe disabilities are least likely to be in the labour force. Yet, despite severe disabilities, 26 percent of this group do participate.

  
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• The participation rate of men and women with disabilities differs considerably. Women with disabilities are less likely to be employed than men with disabilities. The disproportionate share of domestic responsibilities assumed by women with disabilities has presented significant barriers to their labour force participation and has contributed to increased poverty for many of these women.

  
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• A number of factors discourage persons with disabilities from seeking work. The reasons for not joining the labour force most often cited by persons with disabilities are: losing their current income (21%); problems with training (16%); no jobs available (15%); fear they would lose additional supports (13%); family responsibilities (10%); discrimination (7%); and lack of accessible transportation (7%).
• The accessibility of the workplace largely determines whether or not people with disabilities can work. The three accommodations most often identified by people with disabilities not in the labour force as required for them to work are: modified/ reduced hours (33%); job redesign (27%); and accessible transportation (14%).

Income

• Persons with disabilities are more likely than others to have low employment income, particularly women with disabilities, who are concentrated at the bottom end of the scale.

  
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Other Social Indicators

• The majority (94%) of persons with disabilities reside in households, not institutions.
• 91% of children with disabilities attend school; 62% attend regular classes.
• Education level of adults with disabilities (15-64) compared to adults without disability:

  	with disabilities	without disability
  high school or less	65%	50%
  university degree	6%	14%

• Persons with disabilities who have participated in work-related training, by labour force status:

  
  employed 54%
  unemployed 43%
  not in labour force 26%

• About one third of persons with disabilities aged 15 to 64 receive disability-related income. Half of them have employment earnings. D

*Source: Health and Activity Limitations Survey (HALS), Statistics Canada, 1991.