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One in Four Americans is disabled, according to the CDC

Morning Call - 8/16/2018

Aug. 16--One in four Americans lives with a disability, ranging from difficulty walking or climbing stairs to trouble concentrating and making decisions to visual and hearing problems, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey Thursday.

The percentage of adults with disabilities are on the rise as poverty grows, according to the CDC.

Mobility is the most common disability, affecting one in seven Americans. Cognition issues affect one in 10 Americans, followed by problems running errands, hearing, vision and difficulty dressing or bathing.

"At some point in their lives, most people will either have a disability or know someone who has a one," said Coleen Boyle, the director of CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, in a statement. "Learning more about people with disabilities in the United States can help us better understand and meet their health needs."

The survey marks the first time the agency reported the percentage of adults across six disability types: mobility, cognition, hearing, vision, independent living and self care.

Women, American Indians, lower-income people and those living in the southern region of the United States have higher rates of disability, according to the data.

Mobility disability is five times more common for adults ages 45 to 64 living under the poverty level, compared to those with incomes at twice the poverty level.

Bhuang@mcall.com

610-820-6745

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