Disability News, Benefits, and Health Resources
"Disability is the only minority group that anyone can join at any time." - Josh Blue
Seventy million American adults live with a disability. Another 1.3 billion people worldwide (about the combined population of Europe and North America) share that experience, roughly 16 percent of the global population. Disabled World (DW) reports on the policies, research, benefits, and assistive technology that shape their lives. Coverage centers on the United States: Social Security and SSI payments, Medicare and Medicaid rules, accessibility law, and medical research relevant to American readers. International stories appear where they intersect with American policy or practice. Publishing since 2004 under the banner Towards Tomorrow. Learn more about us.
Did You Know:
- 1 - Autism diagnoses have risen dramatically: about 1 in 31 eight-year-old children (3.2 percent) were identified with autism in 2022 CDC surveillance data, up from 1 in 36 in 2020 and just 1 in 150 when the CDC first began tracking it among children born in the early 1990s.
- 2 - Disability rises sharply with age: about 8.7 percent of adults aged 18 to 29 report a disability, climbing to 43.9 percent among adults aged 65 and older.
- 3 - Childhood disability tracks closely with family income - 18 percent of U.S. children in families below the poverty level report a disability, compared with 11 percent of children in families at or above 200 percent of the poverty line. View more Disability Statistics.
Jump To: News | Popular | Updated
Recent Disability News and Information
The First Disability Pension in The USA Was Established In 1776
How the Continental Congress created the first US disability pension in 1776, paying wounded Revolutionary War soldiers $3.30 to $25 per month. Published: 6 Jul 2026.
Roanoke Virginia Travel Guide - Mountain Town Attractions
Explore Roanoke, Virginia - a walkable Blue Ridge Mountain town with museums, music venues, 1,000 miles of trails and the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. Published: 6 Jul 2026.
Physicalism Explained: Mind, Matter, and Disability
Explore physicalism in philosophy of mind - monism, supervenience, identity theory, functionalism, behaviorism, and how it connects to disability. Published: 6 Jul 2026.
Why Advocates Fear a Return to Disability Institutions
Federal moves on special education, civil commitment and disability rights have advocates warning of a shift back toward institutional care in the U.S. Published: 5 Jul 2026.
Popular Pages
Disability Loans and Grants: Financial assistance programs available for low-income families, seniors, and disabled students.
Famous People with Disabilities: Lists of well-known people with various disabilities and conditions who contributed to society.
Awareness Ribbon Colors: Guide to awareness ribbon colors for health, medical conditions, disability, and other causes.
Adult Height to Weight Chart: Ideal weight-to-height ratio for adult females and males.
Child to Teen Height to Weight Ratio Charts: Average height-to-weight ratios for children and teens organized by age.
Newly Updated Pages
Disability ID Cards: Where and How to Obtain One: A country and state guide to disability ID cards, covering issuing agencies, eligibility, documentation, and the travel and service benefits each card provides.
Why Advocates Fear a Return to Disability Institutions: Federal moves on special education, civil commitment and disability rights have advocates warning of a shift back toward institutional care in the U.S.