ADAPT: Fun Facts

Fun Facts

Fun Facts are a collection of interesting and entertaining tidbits of information about disability. They are organized roughly by category.

Learn more about:

Mental Illness
Eating Disorders
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Chronic Medical Conditions
ADD/ADHD
Deafness and Hearing Loss
Mobility Impairments
Learning Disabilities
Visual Impairments and Blindnes

Mental Illness

Q: What percentage of Americans over the age of 18 suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a year?
A: 22.1%

Q: What is the connection between major depression, bi-polarity, schizophrenia, and OCD?
A: They are all one of the top 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries.

Q: What percentage of the American population over 18 years of age has a depressive disorder?
A: 9.5%

Q: What percentage of 18-54 year olds living in the US has anxiety disorders?
A: 13.3%

Q: In 1997, 30,535 people in the US died from suicide. What percentage of that population had a diagnosable mental disorder?
A: More than 90%!

Q: What percentage of 18-54 year olds livng in the US has OCD
A: 2.3% or 3.3 million

Q: What percentage of 18-54 year olds living in the US has panic disorders?
A: 1.7%

Q: How many Americans over 18 years of age are schizophrenic?
A: 2.2 million or 1.1%

Q: How many Americans over the age of 18 are bipolar?
A: 2.3 million or 1.2%

Source: National Institute of Mental Health.

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Eating Disorders

Q: What are the 2 recognized eating disorders?
A: Anorexia and Bulimia

Q: What percentage of anorexics and bulimics are women?
A: 50-95%

Q: How many American women die of anorexia each year?
A: The American Anorexia and Bulimia Association states that 1,000 die.

Q: What are some symptoms of anorexia?
A: Severe weight loss, insomnia, and loss of menstrual periods.

Q: Approximately how many sufferers of eating disorders will die as a result of complications caused by the illness?
A: Up to 30% and higher!

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Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Q: What percent of MHC students report they have someone in their family (mother, father, sister, brother) with an alcohol or other drug problem?
A: 27%
Source: CORE 2001 Data

Q: Which category of women is most at risk to drink heavily?
a) Never married
b) Widowed
c) Married
d) Employed full-time
A: a) Never married
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Q: What other mental health concerns are often common for women with drinking problems?
A: Depression, a history of sexual or physical abuse and eating disorders.
Source: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency

Q: True or False: Women are more vulnerable than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol use.
A: True: Research shows women are more likely to experience alcohol related organ damage even though they consume less in a shorter period of time.
Source: NIAA Alcohol Alert 1999

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Chronic Medical Conditions

Q: What is a chronic medical condition?
A: They are defined as persistent for recurring incurable impairments.

Q: In the year 2000, how many Americans were living with chronic medical conditions?
A: 125 million out of 276 million Americans were living with a chronic medical condition.

Q: What was the cost of medical care for Americans with chronic conditions in 1995?
A: The cost of medical care was $470 billion in 1995.

Q: What are the 5 most common chronic conditions amongst females aged 18-44?
A: Sinusitis, orthopedic impairments, hay fever, migraine, and asthma.

Q: How many Americans have more than one chronic condition?
A: 60 million Americans have more than one chronic condition.

Q: In 2020 how many Americans will have multiple chronic conditions?
A: It is predicted that 25% of Americans will be living with multiple chronic conditions.

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ADD/ADHD

Q: What is the difference between Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
A: ADD generally refers to passive inattention. ADHD is when inattention is accompanied by high activity level.

Q: How common is ADD/ADHD?
A: An estimated 2% and 10% of the population is experiencing some form of ADD/ADHD.

Q: What are the potential side-effects of stimulant medications, such as Ritalin?
A: Loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, “tics,” and more.

Q: What percentage of students with ADHD also have learning disabilities?
A: 25%

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Deafness and Hearing Loss

Q: What is the second most common disability?
A: Deafness

Q: What is the ratio per thousand children born that have hearing loss?
A: Approximately 3 in every 1,000 children have hearing loss.

Q: How many Americans are born deaf and/or hard of hearing?
A: More than 28 million Americans are deaf or hard of hearing.

Q: What is the percentage of age-related hearing loss within the US?
A: Age related hearing loss affects over 40% of the population over 75.

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Mobility Impairments

Q: Are people with mobility impairments ever employed?
A: Absolutely. 23% of people with mobility related disabilities hold top level positions in their career.

Q: How many people have some limit to their mobility?
A: Almost 1 in every 7 people have some sort of limitations on their physical activity.

Q: What exactly is a mobility impairment?
A: “Mobility Impairment” is a term which refers to a broad range of disabilities which include orthopedic, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and pulmonary disorders. The cause may be either congnital or a result of injury or disease.
Source: http://spot.pcc.edu/osd/mobinfo.htm

Q: How many people in the US have a physical disability?
A: 16.3million

Q: Is there any difference between the rate of physical disability in men and women?
A: Yes. Currently there are significantly more women than men with mobility problems.

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Learning Disabilities

Q: How many students in the US receive educational support for a learning disability?
A: 2.8 million students are currently receiving special education services.

Q: If their children are showing signs of a learning disability, how quickly do parents seek help?
A: 44% of parents who noticed their child exhibiting signs of problems with learning waited one year or more.

Q: Does having a learning disability increase one’s chances of dropping out of school?
A: Yes. 35% of children with learning disabilities drop out of high school. This is twice the rate of students without disabilities.

Q: Is there any correlation between substance abuse and learning disabilities?
A: Several studies have shown that between 50-60% of adolescents in treatments for substance abuse have learning disabilities.

Q: Is a reading disability more commonly found in girls or boys?
A: Neither. However, boys are three times more likely to be evaluated and treated.

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Visual Impairments and Blindness

Q: What is considered a visual impairment?
A: A person is considered to be visually impaired if corrective lenses cannot provide 20/40 sight in at least one eye.
Source: http://www.navh.org/faq.html

Q: How frequently is someone diagnosed with a visual impairment?
A: Every seven minutes someone in America will become blind or visually impaired.
Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15

Q: How many people have visual impairments?
A: Although estimates vary, there are approximately 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the US.
Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15

Q: How are printed materials accessible to someone with a visual impairment?
A: Large print type should be used; 18 point is preferable, or in some cases Braille.
Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15

Q: Are their certain colors that are easier to see?
A: Yes, intense colors, such as dark blues and greens, are the easiest to see.
Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15

Q: Are all people with visual impairments completely without sight?
A: No. 90% of people with visual impairments can see the sun, which makes them able to see 93 million miles away.

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Fun Facts Fun Facts are a collection of interesting and entertaining tidbits of information about disability. They are organized roughly by category. Learn more about: Mental Illness Eating Disorders Alcohol and Drug Abuse Chronic Medical Conditions ADD/ADHD Deafness and Hearing Loss Mobility Impairments Learning Disabilities Visual Impairments and Blindnes Mental Illness Q: What percentage of Americans over the age of 18 suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a year? A: 22.1% Q: What is the connection between major depression, bi-polarity, schizophrenia, and OCD? A: They are all one of the top 10 leading causes of disability in the US and other developed countries. Q: What percentage of the American population over 18 years of age has a depressive disorder? A: 9.5% Q: What percentage of 18-54 year olds living in the US has anxiety disorders? A: 13.3% Q: In 1997, 30,535 people in the US died from suicide. What percentage of that population had a diagnosable mental disorder? A: More than 90%! Q: What percentage of 18-54 year olds livng in the US has OCD A: 2.3% or 3.3 million Q: What percentage of 18-54 year olds living in the US has panic disorders? A: 1.7% Q: How many Americans over 18 years of age are schizophrenic? A: 2.2 million or 1.1% Q: How many Americans over the age of 18 are bipolar? A: 2.3 million or 1.2% Source: National Institute of Mental Health. Back to top Eating Disorders Q: What are the 2 recognized eating disorders? A: Anorexia and Bulimia Q: What percentage of anorexics and bulimics are women? A: 50-95% Q: How many American women die of anorexia each year? A: The American Anorexia and Bulimia Association states that 1,000 die. Q: What are some symptoms of anorexia? A: Severe weight loss, insomnia, and loss of menstrual periods. Q: Approximately how many sufferers of eating disorders will die as a result of complications caused by the illness? A: Up to 30% and higher! Back to top Alcohol and Drug Abuse Q: What percent of MHC students report they have someone in their family (mother, father, sister, brother) with an alcohol or other drug problem? A: 27% Source: CORE 2001 Data Q: Which category of women is most at risk to drink heavily? a) Never married b) Widowed c) Married d) Employed full-time A: a) Never married Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Q: What other mental health concerns are often common for women with drinking problems? A: Depression, a history of sexual or physical abuse and eating disorders. Source: National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Q: True or False: Women are more vulnerable than men to many adverse consequences of alcohol use. A: True: Research shows women are more likely to experience alcohol related organ damage even though they consume less in a shorter period of time. Source: NIAA Alcohol Alert 1999 Back to top Chronic Medical Conditions Q: What is a chronic medical condition? A: They are defined as persistent for recurring incurable impairments. Q: In the year 2000, how many Americans were living with chronic medical conditions? A: 125 million out of 276 million Americans were living with a chronic medical condition. Q: What was the cost of medical care for Americans with chronic conditions in 1995? A: The cost of medical care was $470 billion in 1995. Q: What are the 5 most common chronic conditions amongst females aged 18-44? A: Sinusitis, orthopedic impairments, hay fever, migraine, and asthma. Q: How many Americans have more than one chronic condition? A: 60 million Americans have more than one chronic condition. Q: In 2020 how many Americans will have multiple chronic conditions? A: It is predicted that 25% of Americans will be living with multiple chronic conditions. Back to top ADD/ADHD Q: What is the difference between Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? A: ADD generally refers to passive inattention. ADHD is when inattention is accompanied by high activity level. Q: How common is ADD/ADHD? A: An estimated 2% and 10% of the population is experiencing some form of ADD/ADHD. Q: What are the potential side-effects of stimulant medications, such as Ritalin? A: Loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, “tics,” and more. Q: What percentage of students with ADHD also have learning disabilities? A: 25% Back to top Deafness and Hearing Loss Q: What is the second most common disability? A: Deafness Q: What is the ratio per thousand children born that have hearing loss? A: Approximately 3 in every 1,000 children have hearing loss. Q: How many Americans are born deaf and/or hard of hearing? A: More than 28 million Americans are deaf or hard of hearing. Q: What is the percentage of age-related hearing loss within the US? A: Age related hearing loss affects over 40% of the population over 75. Back to top Mobility Impairments Q: Are people with mobility impairments ever employed? A: Absolutely. 23% of people with mobility related disabilities hold top level positions in their career. Q: How many people have some limit to their mobility? A: Almost 1 in every 7 people have some sort of limitations on their physical activity. Q: What exactly is a mobility impairment? A: “Mobility Impairment” is a term which refers to a broad range of disabilities which include orthopedic, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and pulmonary disorders. The cause may be either congnital or a result of injury or disease. Source: http://spot.pcc.edu/osd/mobinfo.htm Q: How many people in the US have a physical disability? A: 16.3million Q: Is there any difference between the rate of physical disability in men and women? A: Yes. Currently there are significantly more women than men with mobility problems. Back to top Learning Disabilities Q: How many students in the US receive educational support for a learning disability? A: 2.8 million students are currently receiving special education services. Q: If their children are showing signs of a learning disability, how quickly do parents seek help? A: 44% of parents who noticed their child exhibiting signs of problems with learning waited one year or more. Q: Does having a learning disability increase one’s chances of dropping out of school? A: Yes. 35% of children with learning disabilities drop out of high school. This is twice the rate of students without disabilities. Q: Is there any correlation between substance abuse and learning disabilities? A: Several studies have shown that between 50-60% of adolescents in treatments for substance abuse have learning disabilities. Q: Is a reading disability more commonly found in girls or boys? A: Neither. However, boys are three times more likely to be evaluated and treated. Back to top Visual Impairments and Blindness Q: What is considered a visual impairment? A: A person is considered to be visually impaired if corrective lenses cannot provide 20/40 sight in at least one eye. Source: http://www.navh.org/faq.html Q: How frequently is someone diagnosed with a visual impairment? A: Every seven minutes someone in America will become blind or visually impaired. Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15 Q: How many people have visual impairments? A: Although estimates vary, there are approximately 10 million blind and visually impaired people in the US. Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15 Q: How are printed materials accessible to someone with a visual impairment? A: Large print type should be used; 18 point is preferable, or in some cases Braille. Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15 Q: Are their certain colors that are easier to see? A: Yes, intense colors, such as dark blues and greens, are the easiest to see. Source: http://www.afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=15 Q: Are all people with visual impairments completely without sight? A: No. 90% of people with visual impairments can see the sun, which makes them able to see 93 million miles away. Back to top

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