Published on: July 30, 2015
If you have a curious mind, perhaps you’ve wondered how many people are on disability in Florida. With the associated stigmas attached to being disabled and the disability itself keeping you from working, it’s a tough spot. Rest assured, though: you’re definitely not alone. There are a wide variety of disabilities, including both physical and mental disorders, and from severe issues of mobility and ability to aggregations of subtle, small problems that cause larger ones.
Disabilities in America
According to the American Community Survey (ACS), 11.9% of the American population (approximately 36,399,700 people) suffers from some sort of disability. In Florida, that jumps to 12.8% of the state population, or approximately 2,371,700 people. That’s a pretty large number! In your considerations of disabilities, realize that there are far more people than you might think who are disabled in some way.
Those aren’t just physical disabilities, either. In Florida alone, 873,000 people are mentally disabled in some way. That’s around 37% of the disabled population in Florida that suffer from cognitive disability alone, a much larger number than you might think at first glance. There are a number of disabilities that might create issues for you so think on that as well.
How About Comparatively?
You might be wondering how things are looking. Are more people disabled now than before, or is it trending downwards? Well, neither is really true. Look at the statistics below, also taken from the ACS:
- 2008: US: 36,169,200 -- 12.1% of the population
FL: 2,315,400 -- 12.8% of the population - 2009: US: 36,230,100 -- 12% of the population
FL: 2,320,500 -- 12.7% of the population - 2010: US: 36,399,700 -- 11.9% of the population
FL: 2,371,700 -- 12.8% of the population
The United States, as a whole, is trending slowly downwards in terms of the percentages, but more people are disabled overall every year. Florida keeps bouncing around in terms of percentages, but the trend of overall numbers goes up each year. Between 2009 and 2010, there’s a jump of 50,000! That’s a scary thing to think about, really. It can happen to anyone, and it’s happening to a lot of people.
What Does this Mean to Me?
Now, with all of these numbers we threw at you (and for that, we’re extremely sorry) you might be wondering about what this means to you. Statistics are statistics, but real life is much different. We can quote you number after number, but it means so much more than that. Those 2,371,700 people that are disabled certainly feel the pain, both mentally and physically. Another disturbing statistic is the employment rate: 31.3% of the disabled population is gainfully employed. The rest are not working. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re receiving benefits, either—just that they’re not working. In Florida, only 19.1% have full time employment. Only 17.6% are receiving Supplemental Security Income. There are plenty of issues around Florida’s disability programs, but ultimately you need to know one thing: no matter your situation, you’re in good company.
If you’re disabled, this means that there might be something else you can do about your situation. There are options out there. There are people working, and there are people not working. There are people receiving assistance, and there are people who aren’t. However, there is one thing that you shouldn’t be and that’s beneath the poverty line, if you can help it. If you’re disabled and can’t work, seek assistance in some form. SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) exist for a reason, and you’re entitled to it. We can quote you all the numbers we want, but the lesson is this: you’re not alone. Go do what you need to do, and don’t fear the stigma.
