Overview

Disability is an umbrella term for any or all of the following components, all of which may also be influenced by environmental and personal factors:

  • impairment—problems in body function or structure
  • activity limitation—difficulties in executing activities
  • participation restriction—problems an individual may experience in involvement in life situations.

More reports and statistics on disability can be found under Disability services.

Latest findings

32% of adults with disability experience high/very high psychological distress, compared with 8% without disability. Almost 4 in 5 NDA service users with autism were aged under 25 43,500 NDA service users had autism 164,000 Australians had autism in 2015 24% of adults with disability experience very good or excellent health, compared with 65% of without disability. 48% of working-age (aged 15–64) people with disability are employed, compared with 79% without disability. 47% of adults with disability have experienced violence after the age of 15, compared with 36% without disability. Males were 4 times as likely as females to have autism 83% of Australians with autism were aged under 25

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Highlights

1 in 150Australians has autism
1 in 5 Australians are estimated to have disability, or about 4.3 million people
24% of adultswith disability experience good or excellent health, compared with 65% without disability
1 in 11people (aged 15+) with disability experienced disability discrimination in the last year