Services for People with Disabilities
California Disability Statistics

About MAO   California Disability Statistics

The following statistics on disability in California are provided from various sources. Due to differences in how the term “disability” has been defined in studies, surveys, and other reports, there is no official count or estimate that appears with great consistency. Differences may also be noted in total population figures. This is due to such factors as whether or not the population numbers used were all-inclusive or excluded any portion of the population. For further information on each study, please consult sources cited. Despite the fact that different surveys vary greatly due to how disability is defined, there is an identified employment gap between people with and without disabilities.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that approximately 5.9 million Californians have a disability.

• People of prime working age (21-64 years) comprise the largest segment of the disabled population in California. Source: U.S. Census Bureau - “Quick Facts from the U.S. Census Bureau”; “2002 American Community Survey Profile.” (www.census.gov)
• In a recent study, 20 percent of Americans (54 million) have a mental or physical disability, but less than 2 percent of TV show characters display a disability and only 0.5 percent have speaking roles. Source: Screen Actors Guild - “The Employment of Performers with Disabilities in the Entertainment Industry.” (www.sag.org)
• In 2005, an estimated 10.8 percent of civilian, non-institutionalized, men and women, aged 21-64 in California reported a disability.*
• In 2005, an estimated 37.4 percent of civilian, non-institutionalized, men and women with a disability, aged 21-64 in California were employed.*
• In California in 2005, the employment rate of working-age people with a disability was 37.4 percent in comparison to the employment rate of working-age people without a disability at 75.7 percent, creating an employment gap of 38.3 percent.*

*Source: Houtenville, Andrew J. 2006. “Disability Statistics in the United States.” Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics (StatsRRTC), www.disabilitystatistics.org. Posted April 4, 2005. Accessed October 12, 2006. (www.DisabilityStatistics.org)