CDC reveals that over 25% of adults in the US have a disability

On July 16, 2024, the United States CDC released an updated analysis of disability rates nationwide, updating its Disability and Health Data System using data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The data revealed that more than 25% of adults in the US, or more than 70 million adults, reported having a disability in 2022.

The report indicated that older adults have a significantly higher prevalence of disabilities than the national average. More specifically, disability rates for adults 65 and older were 43.9%, while rates for all adults hovered over 25%.

In addition, the report also suggested that American Indians or Alaskan Natives and other or multi-race individuals were the most susceptible to disabilities, as they had the highest prevalence of disabilities at 38.7% each.

“These findings underscore the fact that people with disabilities are a large part of every community and population. Many of us know, or are, someone with a disability, and disability inclusion is beneficial for all. As we commemorate the upcoming 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, it’s important to remember disability is not a health outcome; it is part of the way people experience life, such as hearing, seeing, moving, processing information, and caring for oneself,” noted the CDC in the press release.

Unlike previous years, the data analyzed in 2022 consider long COVID and its impact on or its relationship to disabilities. For this research, long COVID was defined as having symptoms for three months or longer not present before having COVID. According to the CDC, individuals with disabilities are more likely to experience long COVID symptoms than those without disabilities, with prevalence rates of 10.8% and 6.6%, respectively.

Long COVID has remained a significant challenge for the healthcare system in recent years. While more research is being allocated to understanding long COVID and its detrimental impacts on human health, data suggests that the condition disproportionately impacts people with disabilities.

Understanding the variation of long COVID prevalence can guide future research and public health efforts to avoid the condition.