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Note:

People with a disability were defined as those who had one or more selected group of limitations, restrictions or impairments, which lasted or expected to last, for a period of six months or more. Handicap was defined as limitation in ability to perform tasks associated with daily living in relation to one or more of the areas of self-care, mobidity, verbal communication, schooling and employment.

Source:

Ageing and Disability Department and Australian Bureau of Statistics, Disability in NSW, cat. no. 4198.1, ABS, Canberra, 1995.

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The proportion of people with a disability increased with age, from 4 per cent among children aged 0-4 years, to 65 per cent among people aged 75 years and over (Ageing and Disability Department, 1995).

The reported prevalence of disability has increased from around 13 per cent in 1981, largely as a result of population ageing (Wen et al. 1995).

In 1993, 803,200 NSW residents (13% of the population and 79% of people with a disability) had a handicap* resulting from their disability which limited their ability to perform certain tasks associated with daily living. Again there were nearly equal numbers of males and females.

Among people with a handicap, nearly half (48% of males and 41% of females) had a mild handicap and did not require any personal help or supervision. Almost one-quarter of people with a handicap (18% of males and 24% of females) had a profound handicap and required constant personal help or supervision.

Most people with a disability (89%) were disabled by physical conditions, most frequently arthritis, disorders of the ear and mastoid process, including hearing loss, and other musculoskeletal disorders.

Around 11 per cent of people with a disability reported mental disorders as their main disabling condition (Ageing and Disability Department, 1995).

*Note that many people prefer the term "participation restriction", but "handicap" is used here to be consistent with the data source.