Statistics reveal that almost one in five have a form of disability

The Office for National Statistics recently put together a report highlighting the needs of people across England and Wales. 10 million people in the 2011 census identified that their daily activities were limited a lot, or limited a little, which was used as an indicator for a disability. This means that nearly one in five people living in England and Wales were considered to have a disability, with the results also revealing that those living in deprived areas were more likely to be disabled.

Higher rates of disability were found in the North West of England, with locations such as Knowsley, Liverpool and Manchester showing a larger proportion of people who reported that their daily activities were limited a lot. This indicates that there is a need for more social care and home adaptations such as stairlifts in Manchester and other locations in the North. In contrast, the commuter belts, such as Hampshire and Surrey, where people are less deprived, were also the same areas where disability was at its lowest.

‘Lower rates of disability in areas with lower levels of local deprivation’

The statistics also revealed that both men and women working in managerial and professional occupations were half as likely to report a disability as those working in routine positions. However, it was females who were more likely to spend more of their lives with a disability according to the Disability Census report.

Men in England and Wales could expect to live to 64 without a disability, while females could expect to live to 65, although females would spend a greater proportion of their life with a disability due to their longer life expectancy.

In conclusion, it would appear that the report highlights a lot of inequality regarding health, with those living in NHS North Manchester expected to live disability free for 15.1 years less than those living in NHS Surrey Downs.

Image Credit: David Amsler (flickr.com)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google + profile to read more stories.