Extent of Total Disability in the United States

N AN mA when the economic seI curity of individuals and of families is recognized as of great national importance, any threat to that security merits detailed study. For this reason, information on the extent of disability in the United States and on the characteristics of the disabled assumes major significance-both as an aid in evaluating the economic implications of disability and as an index of the health of the population. Such information also provides a basis for planning programs-such as disability insurance and vocational rehabilitation-to meet the needs of disabled persons and their families. The task of determining the number of disabled persons and their characteristics is not an easy one. The problem of defining disability for enumeration purposes, for example, is complicated by the fact that the aspects and concepts involved are many and varied. To some persons, disability means a marked physical or psychological deviation from what is accepted as normal; to others, it connotes inability to carry on usual pursuits-particularly gainful work. Another difficulty inherent in a precise enumeration arises from the fact that many persons are reluctant to report certain mental and physical conditions of themselves and of persons to whom they are closely related. The enumeration of disabled individuals who live alone and those who have no fixed abode or family membership also presents special difficulties. To be widely useful, information on disability should reveal such facts as the total number of disabled persons in the population, the number with serious handicaps who continue work or other regular pursuits, the charac-