Canadians with a mobility disability
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Description: Canadians with a mobility disability
2.7 million Canadians aged 15 years and older (9.6%) have a mobility disability.
Canadians with a mobility disability by sex and age group:
- Sex
- 7.9% of men
- 11.2% of women
- Age group
- 1.8%: 15 to 34
- 9.0%: 35 to 64
- 24.1%: 65+
55 is the average age when a person with a mobility disability begins to feel limited in their daily activities.
Top three aids and assistive devices used:
- Bathroom aids (37.9%)
- A cane, a walking stick or crutches (36.5%)
- A walk-in bath or shower (20.1%)
Over half a million (540,000) Canadians with a mobility disability consider themselves housebound; 19.7% say it is because accessible transportation is not available.
Among those with a mobility disability who required physiotherapy, massage therapy or chiropractic treatments because of their condition, 72.0% had an unmet need for these services.
More than half (57.4%) of employed persons with a mobility disability aged 25 to 64 required at least one workplace accommodations.
Notes:
The Canadian Survey on Disability covers Canadians aged 15 years and older who experience limitations in their daily activities because of a long-term condition or health-related problem. Individuals with a mobility disability are those who experience limitations in their daily activities, such as moving around, even when using an aid that provides minimal support (e.g., a cane, a walking stick or crutches). Workplace accommodations include modified hours or days, reduced hours, assistive devices, and ergonomic equipment, etc.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017.
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