I used to have this little paper on my wall at work showing some disability statistics so that people would understand the importance of getting insurance on their banking products, or outside insurance to cover things, if something should happen- those stats reflecting the rate of disability per age group (long and short).
I posted it not to sell insurance as one might think but because I had multiple chronic illnesses and had been on short term leaves more than once- and had to use my product insurance to get by. And then the day came when I had a long term leave and then disability. And disability means substantially lower income. I didn’t want people to have that shock- ending up needing coverage from becoming disabled short term or long term and finding the financial shock of it. Either way, the financial shock last longer than product insurance lasts.
I went from a full-time salary job to part-time to disabled. It is a shock to the income and affects the financial well-being in your life substantially. It isn’t a choice one would willingly make that is for sure. I have a spouse and it is still a struggle with just his income and my small tiny disability income to get by. I am fortunate to have his income. I lived alone for a bit just on mine and it is pinching pennies for sure. And making hard choices- even on medications.
Nearly half of Canadian workers (45 per cent) believe that disability occurs infrequently, however disability is more common than Canadians realize. In fact, one-in-seven Canadians are currently disabled and one-in-three working Canadians will experience a period of disability lasting longer than 90 days during their working lives1.
What I think about a lot
When I think of Disability Pride Month it reminds me of that poster because it reminds me of how people think of disabled people, treat them, discriminate against them when in fact they could become a member at any time. It also reminds me how I went from functionally handling my conditions, sort of, to not at all. And that can also happen easily.
People tend to think ‘not them’ or they tend to think some random accident and not the more likely ‘Mental illness, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis cause more disabilities than accidents. In fact, these diseases are six times more likely to be the case of disability.’ (RBC). And that it could very well be them ‘More than three-in-five (62 per cent) Canadian workers have been exposed to someone having taken time off of work due to a disability, with one-in-four (25 per cent) having had taken this time themselves.’ (RBC)
Disability statistics
- 27% of Canadians aged 15 years and older, or 8.0 million people, had one or more disabilities that limited them in their daily activities
- the rate of disability was higher among women (30%) than men (24%)
- 20% of youth had a disability, Nearly one-quarter (24%) of working-age adults had a disability in 2022, the disability rate for seniors was 40%
- Among persons with a disability, the most common disability type in 2022, as it was in 2017, was pain-related disability; 62% of persons with a disability reported this type of disability (Chart 2). Flexibility (40%), mobility (39%) and mental health-related (39%) disabilities were the next most prevalent types of disability
- in 2022, 59% of persons with disabilities had “milder” disabilities (classified as having a mild or moderate disability) and 41% had “more severe” disabilities (classified as having a severe or very severe disability)
- Nearly three-quarters (74%) of persons with milder disabilities aged 25 to 64 years were employed, while less than half (42%) of persons with more severe disabilities aged 25 to 64 years were employed.
- According to the 2022 CSD, two in five persons with disabilities (45%) reported difficulties in meeting their financial obligations due to the pandemic. Working age adults with disabilities were more likely than youth and seniors to report financial challenges due to the pandemic.
- According to the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability, 1.6 million Canadians with disabilities were unable to afford the aids, devices or prescription medication they require due to cost.
- A specially designed walker can cost up to $2,500. A customized power wheelchair can cost more than $25,000. A porch lift can cost upwards of $5,000. Modifications and renovations to make a home accessible can cost tens of thousands of dollars. These costs can be prohibitive or even unattainable for many individuals and families in lower income households.
- Working aged adults without a disability make a higher median after-tax personal income ($39,000) than those with milder disabilities ($34,300) and those with more severe disabilities ($19,200). (Statistics Canada, 2017).
- The highest rates of poverty (for those aged 15 to 64 years) were among those with more severe disabilities who were living alone or were lone parents. For those living alone, 6 in 10 were below the poverty line, as were 4 in 10 of lone parents. Regardless of disability, 8 in 10 lone parents were women (Statistics Canada, 2017).
- Only four in 10 small business owners hired people with disabilities in 2013, matching levels from the previous year, according to a survey from BMO Financial Group.
- The most commonly required type of workplace accommodations are flexible work arrangements (27%), workstation modifications (15%), and human or technical supports (6%). According to results from a 2017 Statistics Canada survey, the more workplace accommodations required from an employee, the less likely all their needs were met. 75% of employees with disabilities who required only one accommodation have their need met; however, this drops to 36% when they required three or more.
- 72% of persons with disabilities reported that they experienced 1 or more of 27 types of barriers to accessibility because of their condition at least sometimes in the past year.
- Persons with more severe disabilities experienced more barriers to accessibility. These individuals reported that they experienced on average nine of the included types of barriers at least sometimes in the past year.
- Persons with milder disabilities reported that they experienced on average six of the included types of barriers at least sometimes in the past year. Barriers related to features inside or outside public spaces, such as entrances or exits and sidewalks, were the most commonly experienced (56%), followed by barriers related to communication (48%), barriers related to behaviours, misconceptions or assumptions (37%) and barriers related to online activities (17%).
American disability stats for additional information
The thing is
No one much thinks of people with disabilities and when they do they do not think of their financial well-being or their much needed accommodations. And they certainly do not think ‘That could be me so maybe disability rights are important’. Because if it is ‘not you’ it is a whole lot easier to not care. if it is not someone you care about it is a whole lot easier to not care. If it is You, then you will care. And it could be. That is the thing.
And no one much thinks of the cost and impact of visible and invisible disabilities. Whether you yourself ever become disabled or not, no one thinks cities should be designed for the living of every member of society. To accommodate everyone. Designed for everyone. Accessible to everyone. That job accommodation shouldn’t be such an ordeal or that getting a job shouldn’t be limited options. That financial struggles due to disabilities should not be so common in society as they are. It is like no one sees a problem. Just minimal effort in these areas seems total sufficient when it isn’t.
Whereas I think a whole lot about where I need to go, the distance, if I can walk it or not and what mode of transportation I can take, and the cost of that mode of transportation. You have to wonder when everything became a cost vs benefit analysis. Financial cost, pain cost, energy cost, time cost- vs what benefit do I get from all that and can I even do it that day or do I have to wait. Can I wait? It is exhausting. Oh, and all the advice people have for what you should be doing vs the small income you have that makes those suggestions impossible. Everything requires a lot of consideration. Movement, time, energy, pain, cost, mobility.
Chronically Nikki 
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