Millions of Americans do not have access to the assistive devices and technologies that they require to maximize their health and quality of life:

• More than 2.5 million Americans report they need assistive technology that they do not have, with about 70% citing cost as the primary reason. (National Center for Health Statistics, 1992)

• Almost one-quarter of persons 50 and older with disabilities who do not use any special equipment said that equipment such as a hearing aid, wheelchair, cane, or walker would improve their lives. (AARP, 2003) These assistive devices and technologies included:

  • wheelchair or scooter (51%)
  • hearing aids (51%)
  • walker, cane, or crutches (38%)
  • aids for bathing or using the toilet (38%)
  • orthopedic equipment (34%)
  • other home modifications for movement (30%)
  • other aids for daily activities (24%)
  • communications and reading equipment (18%)
  • oxygen or respirator (12%)

• Between 1994 and 1997, 1.3 million Americans with disabilities working at the time reported needing one or more additional assistive devices. (National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 2001)

• Less than 20% of the estimated 28 million Americans who could benefit from hearing devices currently have them. (Hearing Review, 2000)

• 50% of assistive technology users and 75% of those with home modifications paid for this assistive technology themselves or with the help of family members, with no help from third party payers. (National Center for Health Statistics, 1992)

• Individuals with disabilities are only half as likely to have access to the internet as those without a disability: 21.6% compared to 42.1%. (National Telecommunication and Information Administration, 2000)

• More than one-third of homeowners would like to make home modifications that would prevent injuries and make their lives easier, such as installing grab bars in the bathroom, but have not done so, largely because of cost. (AARP, 2003)

  • 27% reported that they would like to add grab bars in the bathroom, 25% stated they would like to have an accessible shower with no shower lip, and 22% reported that they would like to add extra handrails in their halls and stairs.

References:

AARP, Beyond 50.03: A Report to the Nation on Independent Living and Disability, 2003 (using data collected as part of AARP/Harris Interactive Survey of Persons Age 50+ with Disabilities, 2002).

Kochkin, S. and Rogin, C., Quantifying the Obvious: The Impact of Hearing Instruments on Quality of Life, The Hearing Review 7(1): 6-35 (2000).

National Health Interview Survey on Disability, Phase I file, National Center for Health Statistics, 1994-1995.

National Health Interview Survey on Disability, Data File Documentation, National Center for Health Statistics, 1992 (using survey data collected in 1990).

Carlson, D., Ehrlich, N., Berland, B.J., and Bailey, N., Assistive Technology Survey Results: Continued Benefits and Needs Reported by Americans with Disabilities, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, 2001.

National Telecommunication and Information Administration, Falling Through the Net: Toward Digital Inclusion, 2000.