A Profile of Illinois Adults with Disability: A Metropolitan, Urban, and Rural Analysis

2007

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The extent of disability and the demographic and socioeconomic portrait of adults with disabilities in Illinois and its three regions were profiled in secondary analyses of a population-based survey, the Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (IBRFSS), specific to the State (N = 7,157). Findings included (a) 15.5% of community residents in Illinois have a disability as measured by the presence of self-reported functional limitation and use of assistive devices; (b) the prevalence of disability was higher among women, non-Hispanics, the elderly, and residents in rural areas of the state; (c) disability in the metropolitan region of the state was more diverse racially/ethnically than other regions; and (d) disparities in employment, income, and education status existed between Illinois adults with and without a disability. These findings suggest that people with disabilities will continue to be a major portion of the population base in Illinois and that state and local policymakers need to prepare for a growing population that will require services to remain integrated in their communities.

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