According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, a person has a disability when he or she has difficulty with any of the following:

• Normal body functions, such as seeing, hearing, talking, or walking

• Activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing or dressing

• Certain expected roles, such as doing housework, schoolwork, or working at a job

• Performing usual activities, such as driving or taking a bus

Statistics related to disability

• Approximately 54 million people in the US have some type of disability, with physical, sensory, mental, and self-care effects ranging from mild to severe.

• Nearly 52 percent of persons over age 65 (or18 million people) have some level of disability.

• About 35 million people of all ages are severely disabled. This is about 12 percent of the U.S. population. 

• Annually, about 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke. In the U.S. a person normally suffers a stroke every 40 seconds.

• Approximately 1.7 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year.

• There are 250,000 to 400,000 people in the United States with spinal cord injuries or dysfunction.