Disabled Americans have made great strides
But 10 years after passage of ADA, gaps remain
Editor’s note: Former President George Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act into law on July 26, 1990. More than 10 years later — at the start of a new millennium full of technological advances — there is evidence that the quality of life has improved for the 54 million Americans with disabilities. Yet, there is just as much evidence to indicate that much more work needs to be done.
Here, you will find the latest results of an ongoing survey that tracks the degree to which disabled Americans experience full and equal participation in the workplace and other aspects of life. You will also find useful tips from an integrated disability management team with a high degree of success in getting its clients back to work, as well as a special report on reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome (RSD) — one of the most challenging disabilities facing workers’ comp and disability case managers.
Case managers, attorneys, and other patient advocates, armed with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), have helped disabled Americans make progress re-entering the workplace and integrating into their communities. Yet, 10 years after the ADA became law, persistent gaps remain in participation levels between people with disabilities and other Americans in employment, income, education, socializing, religious and political participation, as well as access to health care and transportation, according to a survey conducted by the National Organization on Disability (NOD) in Washington, DC.
The 2000 NOD/Harris Survey of Americans With Disabilities measures participation gaps in 10 key measures of quality of life between people with disabilities and those without. Survey results are based on responses from 997 people with disabilities and 953 people without disabilities. The survey identifies the following gaps:
• Only 32% of disabled people of working age (18-64) work full- or part-time, compared to 81% of the nondisabled population, a gap of 49%. More than two-thirds of those disabled people not employed say they would prefer to be working. However, the employment gap narrows in younger people with disabilities. Among disabled people between the ages of 18 and 29, 57% of those who are able to are working compared to 72% of their non-disabled peers, a gap of only 15%.
• People with disabilities are almost three times as likely as people without disabilities to live in households with total incomes of $15,000 or less — 29% compared to 10%, a gap of 19%.
• People with disabilities are less likely to be registered to vote than people without disabilities — 62% compared to 78%, a gap of 16%.
• People with disabilities are almost three times as likely as people without disabilities to say that inadequate transportation is a problem — 30% compared to 10%, a gap of 20%.
• People with disabilities are less likely to graduate from high school than people without disabilities — 22% compared to 9%, a gap of 13%.
• People with disabilities are less likely to socialize with close friends, relatives, or neighbors than people without disabilities — 70% compared to 85%, a gap of 15%.
• People with disabilities are less likely to attend religious services — 47% compared to 65%, a gap of 18%.
• People with disabilities are more likely to face barriers to health care services — 19% compared to 6%, a gap of 13%.
• People with disabilities are less likely to express high satisfaction with their quality of life — 33% compared to 67%, a gap of 34%.
• People with disabilities are less likely to go out to a restaurant at least once a week — 40% compared to 59%, a gap of 19%.
Narrowing the gap
The good news is that the gap between people with disabilities and those without seems to be narrowing in some cases. NOD has conducted its survey for many key indicators. Comparing the results of the 2000 survey to those of the 1998 and 1994 surveys reveals the following trends:
• The education gap between disabled Americans and nondisabled Americans was 13% in 2000 compared to 11% in 1998 and 12% in 1994.
• The socialization gap between disabled Americans and nondisabled Americans was 15% in both 2000 and 1998 compared to 18% in 1994.
• The religious attendance gap was 18% in 2000 compared to 3% in 1998 and 10% in 1994.
• The entertainment/dining out gap was 19% in 2000 compared to 27% in 1998 and 21% in 1994.
• The annual income gap was 19% in 2000 compared to 22% in 1998 and 1994.
• The access-to-health-care gap was 13% in 2000 compared to 10% in 1998 and 5% 1994.
NOD says that there has been continuous progress in all 10 of the key indicators and speculates that the indicators which appear to show a negative trend, for example, the 2% rise in the education gap between 1998 and 2000, may be explained by the increasing number of severely disabled Americans. As proof, NOD notes that the number of disabled Americans who express satisfaction with their quality of life has risen steadily from 20% in 1994 to 28% in 1998 and 34% in 2000. In addition, 41% of disabled Americans surveyed in 2000 report expect their quality of life to improve in the next four years.
"We take heart from the many hopeful signs in this survey, indicating the success of the ADA," says Alan A. Reich, president of NOD. "Among young people with and without disabilities, age 18-29, the employment gap is only 25% and narrowing. Large numbers of people with disabilities reported that conditions had improved for them during the past four years. This reflects intensive efforts by the disability community, employers, and community leaders, as well as advances in technology, and greater accessibility. The ADA is having an impact. We must all work to close the remaining gaps. This is ADA’s agenda in the new millennium."
The executive summary of the 2000 NOD/ Harris survey of Americans with Disabilities is available online at www.nod.org. The 125-page report including the 35-page survey questionnaire showing tabulated responses is available from NOD for a cost of $95. You may order online, or by calling NOD at (202) 293-5960.
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