Disability News, Benefits, and Health Resources
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), also known to many readers as Disability World, 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. Disabled World has been publishing since 2004 under the banner Towards Tomorrow. Learn more about us.
"Disability is the only minority group that anyone can join at any time." - a widely shared saying in the disability community, often attributed to American comedian Josh Blue.
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 level. View more Disability Statistics.
Jump To:
Popular | News | Updated
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.
Recent Disability News and Information
Internalized Ableism: Rejecting Shame and Disability Pride
How internalized ableism and disability shame form, how they limit careers, health and relationships, and how disability pride and access break the cycle. Published: 15 Oct 2026.
Snowball Accessibility App Named in TIME's Best Inventions
Snowball, the free accessibility app founded by Simon Sansome, was named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 for helping disabled people find places to visit. Published: 15 Oct 2026.
Playnook Games: Free Accessible Browser Games for Everyone
Playnook Games offers 16 free accessible browser games, including Chess, Sudoku and Solitaire, with high-contrast design, tap controls and no sign-up required. Published: 15 Oct 2026.
Lesya Ukrainka: Chronic Illness, Writing and The Forest Song
How Lesya Ukrainka wrote The Forest Song while living with tuberculosis and variable capacity, and how her 1911 drama became the animated film Mavka during war. Published: 15 Oct 2026.
2027 Social Security COLA: 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase
Social Security benefits and SSI payments will rise 3.6 percent in 2027, adding about $75 monthly for retirees, with COLA notices online in late November. Published: 14 Oct 2026.
Wheelchair Right to Repair: Film on Open-Source Chairs
Respect America film on disability advocate Thomas Quiter and his push for open-source power wheelchairs that users can repair locally, releasing October 16. Published: 13 Oct 2026.
Newly Updated Pages
Windows 8 vs OS X Mavericks Accessibility for eLearners: Peer-reviewed HAFEM study rating Windows 8 and OS X Mavericks speech-to-text, text-to-speech and visual sound cues for disabled students in distance learning.
Windows 8 Accessibility Features and Ease of Access Guide: Guide to Windows 8 accessibility features including Narrator, Magnifier, Sticky Keys and Speech Recognition, plus end of support facts and safer upgrade options.