Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012
Mobility disabilities among Canadians aged 15 years and older, 2012
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by Christine Bizier, Gail Fawcett and Sabrina Gilbert
The results presented in this fact sheet are from the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD), which surveyed residents of private dwellings who reported an activity limitation and who were aged 15 years and older at the time of the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS).
According to the CSD, respondents are considered to have a disability only if they report a difficulty or impairment due to a long-term condition or health problem and they report that they are limited in their daily activities as a result of their condition. Appendix A describes how the CSD defines mobility disabilities.
It should be noted that the population living in institutions, including residential care facilities, was not included in the 2012 CSD. Further details are available in the Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012: Concepts and Methods Guide: 89-654-X2014001.
According to the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD), 3,775,900 (13.7%) Canadians aged 15 years and older reported some type of disability, and among them, 1,971,800 (7.2% of Canadian adults) were identified as having a mobility disability that limited their daily activities (Table 1). The most prevalent underlying condition reported by those with mobility disabilities was arthritis.Note 1
| Disability type | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Total disability | 3,775,900 | 13.7 |
| Pain-related | 2,664,200 | 9.7 |
| Flexibility | 2,078,000 | 7.6 |
| Mobility | 1,971,800 | 7.2 |
| Mental health-related | 1,059,600 | 3.9 |
| Dexterity | 953,100 | 3.5 |
| Hearing | 874,600 | 3.2 |
| Seeing | 756,300 | 2.8 |
| Memory | 628,200 | 2.3 |
| Learning | 622,300 | 2.3 |
| Developmental | 160,500 | 0.6 |
| Unknown | 79,500 | 0.3 |
|
Note: Individuals may have more than one type of disability; therefore, the sum of all individual disability types is greater than the number of "total disabilities". Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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As with disability in general, the likelihood of having a mobility disability increased substantially with age—ranging from a prevalence rate of 1.0% for those aged 15 to 24 to a rate of 20.6% for those aged 65 and older (Chart 1). Women reported a higher rate of mobility disabilities than men in all age groups, with the biggest gap being in the 65 and older age group where 22.5% of women reported a mobility disability compared with 18.3% of men.
Data table for Chart 1
| Age group | Mobility disabilities | Total disabilities |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| 15 to 24 years | 1.0 | 4.4 |
| 25 to 44 years | 2.4 | 6.5 |
| 45 to 64 years | 8.6 | 16.1 |
| 65 years and older | 20.6 | 33.2 |
| Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. | ||
Multiple disabilities
Mobility disabilities frequently co-occurred with other types of disabilities: 95.7% of adults with a mobility disability also reported at least one other type of disability in 2012. Regardless of age, mobility disabilities were most likely to co-occur with pain-related disabilities, with over three-quarters (82.9%) of those with a mobility disability reporting this disability type. Among young adults (aged 15 to 24) with mobility disabilities, cognitive disability types were more likely to be present, after pain and flexibility.
Data table for Chart 2
| Developmental | Learning | Mental health- related |
Flexibility | Seeing/Hearing | Dexterity | Memory | Pain-related | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | ||||||||
| 15 to 24 years | 29.2 | 48.9 | 52.0 | 68.9 | 31.2 | 32.5 | 29.0 | 75.7 |
| 25 to 64 years | 3.7 | 22.6 | 39.4 | 79.2 | 36.3 | 39.2 | 22.8 | 89.3 |
| 65 years and older | 1.8Note E: Use with caution | 12.7 | 17.3 | 72.6 | 42.8 | 32.8 | 19.7 | 75.8 |
|
E use with caution Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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Education
Educational attainment
Working-age adults (aged 15 to 64) with mobility disabilities had overall lower levels of educational attainment than those who did not have any type of disability. For example, adults aged 15 to 64 who were not in school and who reported a mobility disability were more likely than those without any type of disability to have not completed high school (23.2% versus 13.1%). This pattern was particularly pronounced among those aged 25 to 44: individuals with a mobility disability were more than twice as likely to have not completed high school compared with their counterparts without any type of disability (23.1% versus 9.5%).Note 2
Similarly, those aged 15 to 64 with a mobility disability were less likely (44.6%) than their counterparts without a disability (61.1%) to have completed postsecondary qualifications.Note 3
Data table for Chart 3
| Level of education | With a mobility disability | Without any disability |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Less than high school | 23.2 | 13.1 |
| High school | 32.2 | 25.8 |
| Postsecondary | 44.6 | 61.1 |
|
Notes: Excludes population still in school. “Postsecondary” includes trades certificates, college diplomas, university certificates below bachelor level and university degrees. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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Educational experiences
In the 2012 CSD (Canadian Survey on Disability), adults with a disability who were currently or had recentlyNote 4 been in school were asked a series of questions about their educational experiences and how their condition or conditions may have affected these experiences.Note 5 More than half of adults with a mobility disability reported that their condition(s) had influenced their choice of courses/careers. Similarly, over two in five indicated that their disability or disabilities resulted in them taking fewer courses (Table 2).
| Effect of disability | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Choice of courses/career influenced by disability | 56.7 |
| Took fewer courses due to disability | 44.2 |
| Education interrupted due to disability | 38.9 |
| Took longer to achieve current level due to disability | 37.7 |
| Went back to school for retraining due to disability | 35.6 |
| Discontinued education due to disability | 33.8 |
| Changed course of studies due to disability | 33.0 |
| People avoided/excluded you in school due to disability | 32.3 |
|
Note: Includes individuals currently in school or in school within the last five years and who had a disability while in school. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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Employment
Labour force status
Over half (58.4%) of adults aged 15 to 64 with a mobility disability were not in the labour force, and another 5.6% were unemployed.Note 6
The employment rate of working-age adults, aged 15 to 64, with mobility disabilities was 36.0%, about half the employment rate of those aged 15 to 64 who did not have any type of disability (73.6%). Men with mobility disabilities were more likely to be employed than their female counterparts (39.8% versus 33.0%). In each age group, those without any disability were roughly twice as likely to be employed as those with a mobility disability, however, this pattern was more pronounced in the older age groups (Chart 4).
Data table for Chart 4
| 15 to 24 years | 25 to 34 years | 35 to 44 years | 45 to 54 years | 55 to 64 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| percent | |||||
| With a mobility disability | 27.0 | 47.4 | 40.4 | 41.5 | 29.8 |
| Without any disability | 51.9 | 81.9 | 84.0 | 83.6 | 64.0 |
| Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. | |||||
Disability in the workplace
Nearly one-fifth (19.1%) of employed adults with a mobility disability indicated that their employer was unaware of their condition(s).
Among those with a mobility disability who were either currently in the labour market or had been within the previous five years, 54.8% reported that they believed their employer considered them disadvantaged in employment and 52.7% reported that they felt disadvantaged in employment (Chart 5). With respect to more specific indicators of disadvantage in the labour market, 14.1% believed that they had been refused a job, 9.1% felt they had been refused a promotion, and 8.8% believed they had been refused a job interview—all due to their disability or disabilities. It is important to remember that this is based on the impact of all disability types these individuals with a mobility disability may have had.
Data table for Chart 5
| Perceived discrimination or disadvantage | Percent |
|---|---|
| Feels employer considers them disadvantaged | 54.8 |
| Feels disadvantaged | 52.7 |
| Refused a job | 14.1 |
| Refused a job promotion | 9.1 |
| Refused a job interview | 8.8 |
|
Note: Includes individuals currently in the labour force or who had been within the last five years. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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Job modifications
Overall, 57.9% of adults with a mobility disability who were or had been recently employedNote 7 stated that they needed at least one type of work accommodation such as modified work hours (33.7%), special back supports (24.5%), modified duties (21.4%), a modified work station (16.5%), accessible parking (10.8%), accessible elevators (9.9%) or other job accommodations. Of those requiring modifications, 50.6% reported that all of their needs had been met, while 26.2% indicated that some needs had been met. Another 23.3% reported that none of their needs had been met. Given the high rate of co-occurrence with other types of disabilities, some of these accommodations may have been for disabilities other than mobility.
Hours worked
Employed working-age adults, aged 15 to 64, with a mobility disability worked an average of 34 hours per week,Note 8 which is less than the average number for those without any reported type of disability (37 hours).Note 9
Not in the labour force
Among those with a mobility disability, aged 15 to 64, who were not in the labour force, the majority (83.0%) reported that their condition(s) prevented them from working. Of these individuals, 15.0% indicated that some type of accommodation would allow them to work. As well, 21.7% indicated that they would look for work in the next 12 months.Note 10 Respondents who planned to look for work were asked why they intended to do so:
- 42.5% expected their condition to improve,
- 10.9%E planned to take training, and
- 10.7%E expected workplace changes/improvements.
Many of those who were not in the labour force encountered barriers that discouraged them from looking for work. Some of the most commonly reported job search barriers for those with a mobility disability were a lack of available local jobs (21.2%) and inadequate training or experience (18.8%) (Chart 6).
Data table for Chart 6
| Job search barriers | Percent |
|---|---|
| Few jobs available locally | 21.2 |
| Training/experience not adequate | 18.8 |
| Past attempts were unsuccessful | 18.6 |
| Would lose additional supports (e.g., drug/housing) | 14.6 |
|
Note: Excludes individuals who retired more than five years ago, those who retired voluntarily, and those who stated that they had never worked but that their condition did not limit the amount or kind of work they could perform. Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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Supports
Overall, nearly 9 in 10 (86.7%) adults with a mobility disability indicated that they required help with some type of everyday activity and nearly two-thirds (63.0%) of these people reported having some level of unmet need for at least one of these support requirements.
While four in five (80.2%) adults with a mobility disability reported receiving help with at least one type of everyday activity, there was unmet need for various specific types of supports, as summarized in Chart 7. For example, 37.9% of all adults with a mobility disability had an unmet need for help with heavy household chores, while 6.8% had an unmet need for help with moving around the home and 1.5% had an unmet need for childcare.
Data table for Chart 7
| Help with everyday activities | Needed help, not received | Needed help, received |
|---|---|---|
| percent | ||
| Heavy household chores | 37.9 | 33.6 |
| Housework | 30.1 | 28.9 |
| Getting to appointment and running errands | 23.8 | 30.0 |
| Preparing meals | 14.7 | 22.9 |
| Personal finances | 9.1 | 18.1 |
| Personal care | 8.9 | 14.2 |
| Medical care | 7.2 | 11.1 |
| Moving around | 6.8 | 8.1 |
| Childcare | 1.5 | 1.1 |
|
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012. |
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Help with everyday activities was most likely to have come from family members, particularly those living in the same household. For example, among those receiving assistance with such activities, 65.3% of those with mobility disabilities received some help from family members living with them and 44.8% received some help from family members who were not living with them. Help with everyday activities came from other sources as well. For example, among those who received some assistance, 29.7% of those with mobility disabilities also indicated receiving help from a friend or neighbour, 23.0% paid an individual or organization for help, and 15.1% reported receiving help from an organization, free of charge.
Income
Personal income for working-age adults
The median personal income (before taxes) of working-age adults aged 15 to 64 with a mobility disabilityNote 11 was $17,100—which is slightly over half that of those without any disabilities ($31,200).Note 12 Men with mobility disabilities had a higher median personal income than their female counterparts ($21,700 versus $14,700).
Those with a mobility disability were also more likely to be reliant on government transfersNote 13 as their major source of income (58.7%) compared to those without any reported type of disability (18.7%). Furthermore, it was found that employed adults aged 15 to 64 with a mobility disability had a lower median employment incomeNote 14 than those without any reported type of disability ($24,100 versus $34,100 respectively). Again, men with mobility disabilities had a higher median employment income than their female counterparts ($25,800 versus $20,400).
Conclusion
Adults with a mobility disability face many challenges. Co-occurrence with other disability types was very high. In particular, the majority of individuals with a mobility disability also had a pain-related disability and/or a flexibility disability, and this was observed across all age groups. At the same time, educational attainment and employment levels among those with a mobility disability were lower than those who did not report any disability. Even when employed, those with a mobility disability had lower levels of employment income. Consequently, it is not surprising that working-age adults with a mobility disability were also more likely than those without any disability to rely on government transfers as their major source of income. Nearly 9 in 10 adults with a mobility disability required some type of help with everyday activities (in particular, the more physically demanding activities such as heavy household chores and housework), and about two-thirds of them had some level of unmet need.
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Appendix A
Identification of adults with a mobility disability
The 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) identifies persons with a mobility disability as persons who have difficulty walking on a flat surface for 15 minutes or have difficulty walking up/down a flight of stairs and have their daily activities limited because of these difficulties. The survey used the newly developed Disability Screening Questions (DSQ) to identify disability. The initial step in identifying a mobility disability was to establish the existence of difficulty with mobility. This was done using the following questions:
DSQ_13
How much difficulty do you have walking on a flat surface for 15 minutes without resting?
- No difficulty
- Some (difficulty)
- A lot (of difficulty)
- You cannot do at all
DSQ_14
How much difficulty do you have walking up or down a flight of stairs, about 12 steps without resting?
- No difficulty
- Some (difficulty)
- A lot (of difficulty)
- You cannot do at all
Those who indicated at least “some” difficulty with either task received a follow-up question to determine how often the difficulty limited their daily activities.
DSQ_15
How often does this difficulty walking and/or using stairs limit your daily activities?
- Never
- Rarely
- Sometimes
- Often
- Always
A mobility disability was identified when respondents reported being limited at least sometimes, regardless of degree of difficulty. If they reported being limited rarely, they were only considered to have a mobility disability if they also indicated having a lot of difficulty or being unable to perform at least one of the two tasks.
An estimated 2,635,800 Canadian adults reported having difficulty with at least one of the two mobility tasks. Of these, 664,100 (2.4% of the adult population) were not limited by their condition, and 1,971,800 (7.2%) were identified as having a mobility disability, based on the methodology described above.
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