Disability

This report explores the association between 8 selected chronic conditions and disability in Australia: coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and related disorders, back pain and problems, osteoporosis, asthma and emphysema. These conditions are generally long term and persistent, and can lead to gradual deterioration of health, and disability. This report examines disability prevalence and severity; and the types of impairments, limitations and restrictions experienced by those with the selected conditions.

People with disability use a range of mainstream health services—such as GPs, medical specialists and dentists. Some experience difficulties in accessing these services, such as unacceptable or lengthy waiting times, cost, inaccessibility of buildings, and discrimination by health professionals.

While people with disability participate actively in all aspects of Australian life, they are more likely to face challenges than people without disability, and their rates of participation in various life areas are generally lower. These fact sheets use data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers to look at changes that occurred between 2003 and 2015 for people with disability in the key life areas of education (DIS 69), employment (DIS 68), and community life (DIS 67).

Chronic back problems are common conditions in Australia (16% of the total population) and cause of disability (28% of the total population with disability) in Australia. Chronic back problems can have a strong negative effect on a person’s quality of life, affecting their ability to participate in daily activities, work, family and social activities. This bulletin provides the latest detailed information on the impacts (in terms of quality of life and disability) of chronic back problems in Australia.

This report uses data from the 2012 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers and 2011–12 ABS National Health Survey (NHS) to examine how health-related factors affect the health status of Australians with disability.

This report examines the characteristics and service use of people who accessed both Disability Services and Home and Community Care programs. In 2010–11 around 54,800 people were known to have used both programs, and the majority of these people were aged under 65 (89%). The report found that people using both programs required higher, more complex and diverse supports, and relied on a wide range of complementary services from both programs to support their distinct support needs.

The report examines the association between diabetes and disability in Australia using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers 2009. People with diabetes were twice as likely to have a disability (39% compared with 17%) and almost 3 times as likely to have a severe or profound limitation (14% compared with 5%) than people without diabetes. Among working-age people with diabetes and disability, 40% said they were permanently unable to work compared with 20% of people with a disability who did not have diabetes. People with diabetes reported higher rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke, depression, vision loss and kidney related disorders than people without diabetes.

This report details the number of people who experienced severe incontinence in 2009, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. It includes estimates of prevalence rates and total expenditure on incontinence, as well as the number of primary carers of people suffering from the condition. It also updates data development since the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's 2006 incontinence report.

This bulletin reports on the 316,500 people who experienced severe incontinence in 2009, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers. There were 144,400 people aged 10 and over living in households who always needed help or supervision with their bladder or bowel control. It also presents information on prevalence rates and how much was spent on incontinence (excluding residential aged care costs) in 2008–09.

In 2010–11, around 314,300 people used disability support services under the National Disability Agreement (NDA).

In 2009–10, around 295,000 people used disability support services under the National Disability Agreement (NDA).

This report presents data from the Younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) program during its first four years of operation to 2009-10. An estimated 1,141 people aged less than 65 have been helped by the YPIRAC program over this time, including 139 people who have been moved out of residential aged care and into accommodation that better suits their situation, a further 207 who were successfully diverted away from entering residential aged care and over 400 people who were provided with enhanced services while in residential aged care.

In 2008–09, around 279,300 people used disability services under the Commonwealth State/Territory Disability Agreement (from 1 July to 30 December 2009) and its replacement, the National Disability Agreement (from 1 January to 30 June 2009).

This bulletin is the first in a series about health of Australians with disability. It examines how health problems affect health status of people with disability in Australia with a focus on prevalence and age at onset of some significant long term health conditions and relevant health risk factors and behaviours.

Younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care Program: Report on the 2008-09 Minimum Data Set includes information from the 2008-09 younger People with Disability in Residential Aged Care Minimum Data Set (YPIRAC MDS). It summarises the characteristics of people who were 'on the books' during 2008-09 and the YPIRAC services they received.

The number and type of disabilities a person has is highly related to the severity of disability and need for assistance. This report examines the severity of disability and complex support needs of people with multiple disabilities in Australia. The analysis examines people with multiple disabilities in different age groups: children (0-14 years), people of working age (15-64 years) and older people (aged 65 years or over).

How is severe disability distributed within Australian capital cities? What is the relationship between the percentage of people with severe disability living in a local metropolitan area and the socioeconomic disadvantage of the area? This report presents data on the geographical distribution of severe disability among people aged less than 65 years living in Australian capital cities, based on analysis of the 2006 Census of Population and Housing.

This report includes information from the 2007-08 Younger People With Disability in Residential Aged Care Minimum Data Set (YPIRAC MDS). It summarises the characteristics of people who were 'on the books' during 2007-08 and the YPIRAC services they received. Included in 'on the books' are people who accepted YPIRAC services in 2006-07 and continued to receive services (including monitoring only) in 2007-08, along with new starters in 2007-08.

People with an intellectual disability represent a very significant client group of disability services in Australia, reflecting the priority given to this group and the origins of many disability services in Australia. This bulletin presents an overview of prevalence of intellectual disability and its related impairments, health conditions and activity limitations. The analyses focus on outcomes of participation in major life areas in children and young adults with intellectual disability as well as people ageing with intellectual disability.