---
"title": "Disability in the Digital Age"
"description": "A detailed look at people living with disability in the U.S. -- their demographic profile, technology status, and use of the internet for health information."
"date": "2012-08-06"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Susannah Fox"
    "job_title": "Former Researcher"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/susannah-fox/"
  -
    "name": "Jan Lauren Boyles"
    "job_title": "Former "
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/jan-lauren-boyles/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2012/08/06/disability-in-the-digital-age/"
"categories":
  - "Digital Divide"
  - "Health Policy"
  - "Medicine & Health"
  - "Platforms & Services"
"tags":
  - "Digital Divide"
---

# Disability in the Digital Age

According to a September 2010 survey by Pew Internet, nearly three in 10 American adults (27%) live with a disability that inhibits their daily functioning. The U.S. Census Bureau, which uses a more restrictive definition of disability, estimates in mid-2012 that nearly one in five Americans (19%) live with a disability.

Individuals who identified a disability use the internet at lower rates than those who did not report disabilities, Pew Internet data also demonstrates (54% vs. 81%). Again, this data parallels findings from the Census Bureau, which documented far lower levels of internet use among those with disabilities compared to those living without disability (48% vs. 74%).

These lower levels of internet activity among those with disabilities stand in stark relief to the rest of the population, especially as the peer-to-peer healthcare movement accelerates online. By delving deeper into the demographic data, we now present a more detailed look at adults living with disabilities and their interplay with the internet.

(Note: We recommend viewing the slides full-screen.)

http://www.slideshare.net/PewInternet/disability-in-the-digital-age