Back to Top

 Skip navigation

             Mobility and Pain are the most reported disabilities

 

The report National Disability Survey 2006 - First Results, published by the CSO today, presents the first ever detailed profile of people with a disability in Ireland. The report provides information on the level of difficulty experienced by people in carrying out their daily activities across nine different types of disability. Key findings from the report include:


• A Mobility and dexterity disability was reported by 56% of all persons with a disability. Pain (47%), Remembering and concentrating (35%), and Emotional, psychological and mental health (34%) were the next most reported disability types. Speech (11%) was the least reported disability.


• 24% of persons with a disability reported that they could not do everyday activities as a result of their disability. A further 43% reported having a lot of difficulty doing everyday activities, and 31% reported having a moderate level of difficulty.


• 52% of persons with a disability were female. Intellectual and learning (61%) and Speech (54%) disabilities were the only categories where there were more males than females. Seeing had the highest proportion of females at 58%.


• More than a third (36%) of all persons with a disability were aged 65 and over whereas this age group represented only 11% of the population. In contrast only 11% of persons with a disability were aged 0-17 (this age group represented 25% of the population).


• 29% of persons with a Speech disability and 38% of persons with an Intellectual and learning disability were under 18 years of age. Persons in the age group 18-64 accounted for two-thirds (67%) of those reporting an Emotional, psychological and mental health disability.


• Some disabilities affected particular age groups more than others. Three out of every four (75%) persons with a disability in the 0-17 age group had an Intellectual and learning difficulty. Among persons with a disability in the 75 and over age group, 83% had a Mobility and dexterity disability and almost half (48%) had a Pain difficulty.


• Persons living in a nursing home, hospital or children’s home represented 8% of persons with a disability. They were mainly elderly with 62% of them aged 75 and over. A higher proportion of persons usually resident in a nursing home, hospital or children’s home had Mobility and dexterity (76%) and Remembering and concentrating (61%) difficulties compared to the corresponding rates for people with a disability usually resident in private households (55% and 32% respectively). They also reported much higher levels of severity with 63% unable to do certain everyday activities compared to 21% of people with a disability in private households.

 

• Most persons with an Intellectual and learning disability acquired it in childhood with 39% having it from birth and a further 39% acquiring it before the age of 18. A broadly similar situation existed for persons with a Speech disability with 41% having a Speech disability from birth and a further 20% acquiring it before the age of 18.


• 23% of persons with an Emotional, psychological and mental health disability acquired it in the age group 18-34. Depression was the most frequently reported illness causing this difficulty with 28% of persons with this disability citing this. A further 12% cited anxiety as the illness causing their Emotional, psychological and mental health disability.


The report also looks at the prevalence of disability in Ireland. The NDS included a broader range of disabilities than had been used previously. The survey found that disabilities relating to Pain and to Mobility and Dexterity were the most commonly reported with rates of 86 and 83 per thousand population respectively. The next most prevalent were Emotional, psychological and mental health, Remembering and concentrating difficulties and Breathing difficulties with rates of between 40 and 48 per thousand. The overall rate of disability for the population is estimated to be between 168 and 204 per thousand population.


Editor's note


The report is available on the CSO web site (www.cso.ie)


For copies of the publications contact:


The Central Statistics Office, Information Section, Skehard Road, Cork


Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2

 

Price: €5


For further information:


For further information: contact Gillian Roche at 01 498 4202, Gerry Brady at 01 498 4201

or Bernie Ryan at 01 498 4285.

23 October 2008

- ENDS -