If you have a disability that prevents you from working, don’t feel like you are alone. You absolutely are not. The truth is that people simply do not talk about disabilities all that often and they are actually more common than people realize.
For instance, the United States has a population of around 328 million. At the same time, about 61 million people have some type of disability. Other estimates put it at about one out of four, or 26% of all U.S. adults.
Population statistics change every year and, realistically, every day. But, while the numbers may shift, it is clear that disabilities have a significant impact on a lot of people, even if the issue flies under the radar. Think of eight people that you know. Statistically, two of them may be living with a disability.
The most common disabilities are those impacting motor skills and mobility, at just over 13%. Next are cognitive disabilities, at just over 10%. The next four are disabilities that affect independent living, hearing, vision and self-care.
Naturally, many of these could co-exist. For instance, someone who suffers a brain injury could wind up with mobility issues and cognitive issues. It depends on a lot of factors, as brain injuries are often vastly different from case to case. That is part of what makes them hard to treat and hard to predict. The amount of healing a person can expect after treatment of their condition is also very different from person to person.
In any case, those living with disabilities need to know that they are not alone, they do have legal options. There are different types of assistance they can obtain when a disability becomes so disabling that they’re unable to work, including Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).