ODDC- National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey, Demographics, June 10, 2004

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TITLE: National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey, Demographics, June 10, 2004 http://www.nod.org/pdffiles/harris2004/harris2004_data.pdf

Project Manager: Kristina Hanson (Katherine Cargill-Willis 9/15/04)

Introduction and Kathy’s note: “Progress is too slow, and the gaps are still too large,” said National Organization on Disability President Alan A. Reich. “Looking back four years, or ten years, to our earlier N.O.D./Harris surveys, we see Americans with disabilities heading in the right direction. But people with disabilities remain pervasively disadvantaged. Our goal of full participation is a dream deferred.” The new survey, conducted by research group Harris Interactive, tallied responses from more than 2,000 phone and online interviews. Margin of error is 3 percentage points. The survey, administered to both people with disabilities and those without, examines eight aspects of life. I have decided to break down the survey into seven two-page reports.

Life Satisfaction, Socializing, and Religion
Employment
Health Care
Assistive Technology
Personal Assistance
Disability Issues
Demographics

Disability: When asked if there was a health problem, disability, or handicap currently keeping them or anyone in the household who is 18 years old or older from participating fully in work, school, housework, or other activities, 49% of people with disabilities said yes, themselves; 16% said someone else; 4% said yes themselves and someone else and 31% of people with disabilities answered the question no. From the people with a disability 7% reported that they had a learning disability; 10% reported that someone else in their household had a learning disability and 1% said both they and someone else had a learning disability. With regard to an emotional or mental disability, 16% of people with disabilities reported that they had that kind of disability, while 10% said someone else in the home did. Four percent had a disability that limited speech or communication and 5% reported that they lived with someone who did. Eighteen percent had a disability that limited hearing and 8% said that someone in their household did. Twelve percent reported a vision or sight-related disability that could not be corrected by ordinary eyeglasses, while 5% said someone in their household did. Finally 33% said they had a physical disability that limited the use of their arms, legs or arms and 11% said that they lived with someone with a physical disability. From the people who did not say that they had a disability specified in the previous question, 38% said they had a disability not mentioned, 30% said that they considered themselves disabled and 29% said that they were someone who most people would consider disabled. Twenty percent of people with disabilities considered their disability very severe; 33% said it was somewhat severe; 27% said it was moderate and 18% called their disability slight. Nine percent of people with disabilities said they were born with their disability 21% said their disability began after birth but before they were twenty; 24% said it happened when they were between 20 and 39; 27% said they became disabled when they were between 40 and 55; and 20% said their disability began when they were older than 55.

Education: Twenty-one percent of the people with disabilities had less than a high school diploma compared to 11% of those without; 39% of people with disabilities and 36% of people without disabilities had a high school diploma or a GED; 26% of those with disabilities and 27% of those without had some college but did not have a degree; 9% of those with disabilities were college graduates; compared with 17% of those without; and 5% of those with disabilities had a post graduate degree, versus 8% without disabilities.

Age: The mean age of the people with disabilities surveyed was 52.5, with 43.8 the mean age for the people without disabilities. Twelve percent of people with disabilities and 25% of those without were between 18 and 29; 20% of those with disabilities and 29% of those without were between 30 and 44; 42% of those with disabilities and 32% of those without were between 45 and 64; and 26% of those with disabilities and 15% of those without disabilities were 65 or older.

Gender: Of those surveyed with disabilities 57% were female and 43% were male. Exactly half of those without disabilities were male and half were female

Race: When asked if they considered themselves white, Black or African-American, Asian, Native American, or another race, 73% of those with disabilities and 71% of those without were white; 11% of both group were African American; 2% of people without disabilities were Asian; 2% of both groups were Native American or Alaskan native; and 3% of those with disabilities and 2% of those without disabilities reported to be some other race.

Income and Other Financial Affairs: Forty percent of people with disabilities and 62% of those without reported that they were able to support themselves for three months without earned income or gifts from others. Considering 2003 household income before taxes, 26% of those with disabilities made $15,000 or less, versus 9% of those without disabilities; 20% of people with disabilities and 12% of people without disabilities made between $15,001 and $25,000; 12% of those with disabilities and 13% without disabilities made between $25,001 and $35,000; again 12% of those with disabilities and 13% of those without made between $35,001 and $50,000; 12% of those with disabilities and 20% of those without made between $50,001 and $75,000; 4% of people with disabilities and 11% of those without made between $75,001 and $100,000; and only 4% of people with disabilities made over $100,000, while 10% of people without disabilities fell into the same category.

Forty-six percent of people with disabilities and 65% of those without had a savings account with a bank; 28% of people with disabilities and 37% of those without had a savings account with a credit union; 6% of those with disabilities and 13% of those without had an individual development account; 21% of those with disabilities and 34% of those without had corporate or municipal stocks or bonds; 15% of those with disabilities and 21% of those without had government savings bonds; 69% of those with disabilities had a checking account with a bank, compared 76% of those without; 22% of those with disabilities and 24% of those without disabilities had a checking account with a credit union, 26% of those with disabilities and 36% of those without had a loan with a bank; and 19% of people with disabilities and 23% of those without had a loan with a credit union or other financial institution.

Fifty-eight percent of people with disabilities and 61% of those without owned their own home. Of those who owned their own home 44% of people with disabilities and 63% of those without disabilities claimed the mortgage interest deduction on their state and federal income taxes. When the people who did not claim a mortgage interest deduction were asked the reason, 22% of people with disabilities and 2% of those without disabilities said that they did not file a tax return; 25% of people with disabilities and 21% of those without said they did not itemize deductions; and 50% of people with disabilities and 71% of those without give some other reason. Finally, only twelve percent of those with disabilities ever claimed a tax credit or deduction related to their disability and employment. Of those who claimed this kind of tax credit or a tax deduction, 26% claimed a federal tax credit or deduction; 7% claimed a state deduction or tax credit and 55% claimed both federal and state.

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