It Counts To Have a Disability

The 2010 Census will be taken in less than two years, and I think it should be interesting to see the increase in the number of people with disabilities. Between aging baby boomers and troops returning from Iraq with disabilities, that segment of the population will be significantly larger than in the 2000 Census and will certainly affect projections, programs and fund allocations. Yes, I think it will be interesting.

How are people with disabilities counted, who is counted as having a disability, and what difference does it make?

I searched for the term disability in the U.S. Census and the only search result was the March 1999 Current Population Survey. That was a long time ago.The U.S. Census Bureau maintains the Current Population Survey (CPS) as a monthly survey updating labor characteristics of the population. On that March report nine years ago, there was only one question (Q59a) concerning disability:

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