Social Development and Public Governance > Social Development > Disability
Data on Disability
- IDB Seminars on Disability Data
- Latest Disability Prevalence Rates
- Data Sources and Prevalence Rates
- Country Reports on Disability Statistics
- Institutes Measuring Disability
Initiative on Collecting Disability Data
In 2003, the IDB initiated a series of sub-regional meetings on disability data in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The purpose was to assess the status of disability data in each country. Over the last 2 years, the IDB has assisted countries to analyze existing data on disability, and in two countries - Nicaragua and Guatemala - funded disability surveys.
The links above will direct the reader to the presentations and reports prepared by national statistical institutes and other agencies, such as UN's Washington City Group on Disability Statistics and the World Bank who have participated in this initiative. The presentations provide data on disability in LAC and current international trends in disability measurement. The IDB is developing national and sub-regional reports on disability statistics in LAC. As these reports are completed they will be posted on this site. Taken together, the presentations and the reports represent one of the few collections on disability data in the LAC region available online.
Latest Disability Prevalence Rates in LAC:
| Argentina | 7.1% | Survey 2001 |
| Bahamas | 2.3% | Census 2000 |
| Barbados | 4.6% | Census 2000 |
| Bolivia | 3.8% | Census 2001 |
| Brazil | 14.5% | Census 2000 |
| Chile | 12.9% | Survey 2004 |
| Colombia | 6.3% | Census 2005 |
| Costa Rica | 5.4% | Census 2000 |
| Ecuador | 12.1% | Survey 2004 |
| El Salvador | 1.5% | Survey 2004 |
| Guyana | 3.9% | Survey 1981 |
| Guatemala | 3.7% | Survey 2005 |
| Honduras | 2.7% | Survey 2002 |
| Jamaica | 2.8% | Census 2000 |
| Mexico | 1.8% | Census 2000 |
| Nicaragua | 10.3% | Survey 2003 |
| Panama | 11.3% | Survey 2005 |
| Paraguay | 1% | Census 2002 |
| Peru | 8.7% | Census 2005 |
| Suriname | 2.8% | Census 1980 |
| Trinidad & Tobago | 4.5% | Census 2001 |
| Uruguay | 7.6% | Survey 2003 |
| Venezuela | 3.9% | Census 2001 |
Regional Harmonization of Disability Definitions
Definitions and techniques used to measure disability prevalence, cause and effect varies greatly between and within countries. Recently, disability definitions have evolved from a focus on impairment to an examination of functional capabilities. The first identifies the presence of a sensory, physical or mental deficiency (blindness, muteness, bodily impairment, retardation, etc.), whereas the second focuses on a persons ability to perform essential life skills (walking, taking personal care, learning, performing a job, etc.) The two definitions provide vastly different prevalence estimates and as a result comparability is difficult.
The Bank continues to support activities on harmonizing disability definitions at a regional scale. In May 2005, the IDB held it's third sub-regional meeting for the Southern Cone countries with a thematic focus on Regional Harmonization of Disability Definitions. In September 2005, the Washington City Group organized its 5th meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the Bank supported in bringing participants together from the LAC region: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/otheract/citygroup/meeting5.htm
IDB Seminars on Disability Data
In June 2005, the IDB completed a round of six sub-regional meetings to discuss the status of disability data in Latin America and the Caribbean. The first meeting was held in 2003 for the MERCOSUR+ 2 countries - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile - followed by meetings in Central America (2004), the Caribbean (2005) and the Andean region (2005). These meetings were attended by representatives of national statistical institutes, disability NGOs, and national disability councils. The Bank has worked closely with the Washington City Group on Disability Data, the World Bank, CEPAL, Andean Community, and CARICOM in this work. The presentations can also be viewed by country.
Disability Data in the Andean Region
Lima, Peru. June 7-8, 2005
Regional Harmonization of the Disability Definition
Buenos Aires, Argentina. May 10-11, 2005
Disability Data in the Caribbean
Kingston, Jamaica. April 14-15, 2005
Second Meeting on Disability Statistics in the Southern Cone
Santiago, Chile. October 28-29, 2004
Statistics on Persons with Disabilities
Managua, Nicaragua. August 31 - September 1, 2004
Disability Statistics in the Southern Cone
Buenos Aires. July 7-8, 2003
