Digital Outcasts > 1 in 7 People on Earth Has a Disability

1 in 7 People on Earth Has a Disability

June 10th, 2011 by Kel Smith | Filed under Uncategorized

A man pushes a friend in a wheelchair following an event in Beijing to raise awareness of accessibility issues for the disabled.

Associated Press Photo by Ng Han Guan

According to a report distributed by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, and reported by National Public Radio, more than 1 billion people in the world are living with some sort of disability. This is roughly 15 percent of the world’s population. In fact, this number is expected to increase as the world’s population ages and people live longer.

The breakdowns cover those who have difficulty seeing, hearing, walking, speaking and recalling information. It also includes people who are unable to take care of themselves. Interestingly, depression is considered a disability and is the most common among those under the age of 60 years.

Margaret Chan, current head of the World Health Organization, mentions that “almost every one of us will be permanently or temporarily disabled at some point in life.” As mentioned previously in this space, universally design solutions help everyone regardless of where they reside on the continuum of human competence.