The Canadian Survey on Disability covers Canadians over fifteen years of age whose everyday activities are limited because of a long-term condition or health-related problem.
Did you know that 22% of Canadians have at least one disability? This represents 6.2 million people, over 15% of the population or approximately 1 in every 5 Canadians.

Disability Survey Results

The breakdown of the percentage of Canadians with at least one disability goes like this…24% are women and 20% are men. 13% are aged 15 to 24 years, 20% are working-age adults aged 25 to 64 years and 38% are Seniors aged 65 years and over.
If you break that down, the top 4 most common types of disabilities are Pain-related at 15%, Flexibility affects 10%, Mobility issues also affect 10% of the population and Mental health- related disabilities affect 7%.
Other disabilities by percentage include Seeing and sight which represent 5%, Hearing issues and deafness affect 5%, Dexterity limitations affect 5%, Learning affects 4%, Memory issues represent 4%, While Developmental disabilities affect 1% of the disabled population. It is important to note that among youth with disabilities, 60%had a mental health-related disability.

Employment Rates for Disabled People in Canada

Employment rates for working age adults are 59% for persons with disabilities. People without a disability are 80% employed. Research shows that out of the 6.2 million Canadians with a disability, 1 in 5 of them were unable to afford devices or prescription medications due to cost.
So the next time you’re waiting for a bus, standing in line or moving through a crowd be aware that 1 in 5 of the people around you are just trying to get through their day. Canadians with disabilities earn 15-50% less and are more likely to live in poverty.

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