In 2023, WHO reported that 70% of disabled people experience attitudinal discrimination in daily life, yet workplace and education data reveal how quickly that bias turns into real barriers. With the EEOC receiving 24,845 disability discrimination charges in fiscal year 2023, the scale is clear, but the split across healthcare, transport, and schools is where it gets most unsettling.
Key Takeaways
- Globally, 70% of disabled report attitudinal discrimination in daily life per WHO 2023
- US 2022: 60% disabled experienced public stigma or harassment
- UK 2023: 80% disabled faced negative attitudes in last year
- In education, 25% of students with disabilities in the US reported discrimination by teachers in 2022 surveys
- UK 2023: 40% of disabled pupils experienced bullying due to disability
- UNESCO 2022: 40% of children with disabilities worldwide never attend school due to discrimination
- In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 24,845 charges alleging disability discrimination, representing 36.8% of all charges filed
- Disability discrimination charges accounted for 37.1% of the EEOC's total caseload in FY 2022 with 22,843 charges filed
- From 2010 to 2020, disability discrimination complaints to the EEOC increased by 25%, reaching over 25,000 annually by 2020
- In healthcare, 30% of disabled US adults delayed care due to discrimination in 2022
- UK 2023: 50% disabled patients experienced healthcare discrimination
- WHO 2023: 15-20% higher mortality for disabled due to healthcare bias globally
- 35% of US public transit users with disabilities reported accessibility discrimination in 2022
- UK 2023: 60% disabled find public transport inaccessible
- WHO 2023: 1 billion people with disabilities face mobility discrimination daily
Across education, healthcare, and work, disability discrimination is widespread, with most disabled people reporting stigma and biased access.
Related reading
01 · Category
Attitudinal Discrimination24 stats
01
Globally, 70% of disabled report attitudinal discrimination in daily life per WHO 2023
02
US 2022: 60% disabled experienced public stigma or harassment
03
UK 2023: 80% disabled faced negative attitudes in last year
04
Australia 2022: 54% disabled report verbal harassment due to disability
05
Canada 2023: 48% disabled experienced discrimination in social settings
06
EU FRA 2023: 41% disabled harassed based on disability in past 5 years
07
India 2022: 65% disabled face family attitudinal discrimination
08
Brazil 2023: 50% disabled report social exclusion attitudes
09
South Africa 2022: 75% disabled stigmatized in communities
10
Japan 2021: 35% disabled hide condition due to shame attitudes
11
Germany 2023: 28% disabled face pity-based discrimination
12
France 2022: 45% public attitudinal bias against disabled
13
US 2023: Disabled LGBTQ+ face 2x attitudinal discrimination
14
UK media analysis 2022: 40% portrayals reinforce disability stereotypes
15
Global UN 2023: Implicit bias affects 80% interactions with disabled
16
Australia Indigenous disabled: 60% cultural attitudinal discrimination
17
Canada 2022: 55% disabled women face gender-disability attitudes
18
WHO 2022: Mental health stigma doubles for disabled globally
19
US 2022: 32% strangers harassed disabled publicly
20
UK 2023: 65% disabled feel pitied rather than respected
21
Nigeria 2023: 85% superstitious attitudes towards disabled
22
Mexico 2022: 52% community rejection of disabled
23
New Zealand 2023: 38% attitudinal barriers in volunteering for disabled
24
Sweden 2022: 22% social isolation due to attitudes
Interpretation
Attitudinal Discrimination Interpretation
Across countries, attitudes remain the dominant driver of harm, with 80% of disabled people in the UK reporting negative attitudes in the past year and similarly high shares elsewhere, including 70% globally (WHO 2023) and 60% in the US (2022), showing that attitudinal discrimination is widespread rather than an isolated problem.
02 · Category
Educational Discrimination25 stats
01
In education, 25% of students with disabilities in the US reported discrimination by teachers in 2022 surveys
02
UK 2023: 40% of disabled pupils experienced bullying due to disability
03
UNESCO 2022: 40% of children with disabilities worldwide never attend school due to discrimination
04
US Dept of Education 2021-22: 7.5 million students with disabilities, 15% reported exclusionary discipline discrimination
05
Australia 2023: 30% disabled students face curriculum access discrimination
06
Canada 2022: 20% dropout rate for disabled students vs 8% non-disabled
07
EU FRA 2023: 33% disabled children experienced school discrimination
08
India 2023: Only 1% of disabled children complete higher education due to barriers
09
Brazil 2022: 50% disabled students lack inclusive education placements
10
South Africa 2023: 78% disabled learners not in mainstream schools due to discrimination
11
Japan 2022: 8% special needs students face teacher discrimination reports
12
Germany 2021: 25% disabled students report peer discrimination
13
France 2023: 35,000 complaints on educational disability discrimination
14
US 2022: Disabled students 2x more likely to be suspended (18% vs 9%)
15
UK 2022: Disabled pupils 3x more likely to be excluded from school
16
Global: 258 million children with disabilities out of school per UNICEF 2023
17
Australia 2022: 45% disabled students report accessibility discrimination in exams
18
Canada 2023: Indigenous disabled students face 40% higher discrimination rates
19
WHO 2021: Disability linked to 50% lower school completion globally
20
US IDEA complaints: 18,000 on discrimination in 2022
21
UK 2023: 60% disabled students need but lack reasonable adjustments
22
Nigeria 2022: 98% disabled children out of school due to barriers
23
Mexico 2023: 30% disabled youth dropout due to discrimination
24
New Zealand 2022: 28% disabled students bullied weekly
25
Sweden 2023: 15% employment gap post-education for disabled graduates
Interpretation
Educational Discrimination Interpretation
Across education systems, discrimination is preventing participation for a significant share of disabled learners, including UNESCO’s finding that 40% of children with disabilities worldwide never attend school due to discrimination, alongside reports like 25% facing teacher discrimination in the US and 20% higher dropout rates in Canada.
03 · Category
Employment Discrimination30 stats
01
In fiscal year 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 24,845 charges alleging disability discrimination, representing 36.8% of all charges filed
02
Disability discrimination charges accounted for 37.1% of the EEOC's total caseload in FY 2022 with 22,843 charges filed
03
From 2010 to 2020, disability discrimination complaints to the EEOC increased by 25%, reaching over 25,000 annually by 2020
04
In the UK, 14% of working-age disabled people were unemployed in 2022 compared to 4% of non-disabled, a discrimination gap of 10 percentage points
05
Australian Human Rights Commission reported 1,200 disability discrimination complaints in employment in 2021-2022, up 15% from prior year
06
In Canada, 2022 data shows 62% employment rate for persons with disabilities vs 77% for non-disabled
07
EU FRA survey 2023: 44% of disabled Europeans reported workplace discrimination in the last 5 years
08
ILO estimates 465 million working-age persons with disabilities face employment discrimination globally
09
In the US, median earnings for disabled workers were $31,800in 2022 vs $45,200 for non-disabled, a 30% gap
10
2021 UK study: 70% of disabled employees experienced bullying or harassment at work
11
EEOC resolved 19,000 disability discrimination charges in FY2022 with $200 million in relief
12
In India, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities received 5,000 employment discrimination complaints in 2022
13
South Africa: 15% of disabled job seekers reported discrimination in hiring per 2023 CCMA stats
14
Brazil 2022: Only 1.2% of workforce is disabled despite quotas requiring 2-5%, indicating discrimination
15
Japan 2023: Employment rate for disabled at 53% vs 72% non-disabled
16
Germany 2022: 25% of disabled applicants faced rejection due to disability per BA stats
17
France 2021: 40,000 employment discrimination claims related to disability filed with Defender des Droits
18
US private sector: Disabled workers 2x more likely to live in poverty (25% vs 12%)
19
UK Acas 2022: 1 in 5 disabled workers reported pay discrimination
20
EU 2023: Disabled women face 50% higher unemployment discrimination than disabled men
21
Australia 2023: Disabled unemployment rate 9.5% vs 4.2% non-disabled
22
Canada 2023: 28% of disabled workers experienced workplace discrimination last year
23
WHO 2023: Globally, 50-75% of disabled adults are unemployed due to discrimination
24
US EEOC FY2021: Disability retaliation charges: 12,000 cases
25
UK 2022: Disabled workers 4x more likely to be made redundant
26
India 2023: Only 0.3% formal employment for disabled despite 2.1% population
27
Mexico 2022: 80% of disabled not in labor force due to discrimination barriers
28
Nigeria 2023: 90% disabled unemployment linked to discrimination per survey
29
Sweden 2022: 12% employment gap for disabled vs non-disabled
30
New Zealand 2023: 22% of disabled reported hiring discrimination
Interpretation
Employment Discrimination Interpretation
Employment discrimination remains a major and growing burden for people with disabilities, with the EEOC receiving 24,845 disability discrimination charges in FY 2023 and disability-related claims making up 37.1% of its total caseload in FY 2022.
More related reading
04 · Category
Healthcare Discrimination25 stats
01
In healthcare, 30% of disabled US adults delayed care due to discrimination in 2022
02
UK 2023: 50% disabled patients experienced healthcare discrimination
03
WHO 2023: 15-20% higher mortality for disabled due to healthcare bias globally
04
US 2021: 25% disabled report provider discrimination per HHS
05
Australia 2022: 40% disabled avoid doctors due to past discrimination
06
Canada 2023: 35% disabled experienced unequal treatment in hospitals
07
EU 2023: 28% disabled denied equal medical services
08
India 2022: 60% disabled face healthcare access discrimination
09
Brazil 2023: 45% disabled report bias in emergency care
10
South Africa 2022: 55% disabled denied routine screenings due to discrimination
11
Japan 2021: 20% disabled patients face communication discrimination
12
Germany 2023: 32% disabled experienced prioritization bias in COVID care
13
France 2022: 25,000 healthcare discrimination complaints for disabled
14
US 2023: Disabled Black patients 3x more likely to face healthcare discrimination
15
UK NHS 2022: 1 in 4 disabled patients waited longer due to bias
16
Global: Disabled 2x more likely to lack healthcare access per World Bank 2023
17
Australia 2023: 38% disabled report mental health service discrimination
18
Canada Indigenous disabled: 50% discrimination in care
19
WHO Europe 2022: 40% disabled face stigma in mental health services
20
US 2022: 22% disabled denied pain meds due to bias
21
UK 2023: Disabled women 45% more likely to face maternity care discrimination
22
Nigeria 2022: 70% disabled lack basic healthcare due to discrimination
23
Mexico 2023: 42% disabled report pharmacy discrimination
24
New Zealand 2022: 29% disabled avoided care due to discrimination fear
25
Sweden 2023: 18% healthcare gap for disabled
Interpretation
Healthcare Discrimination Interpretation
Across healthcare settings, discrimination is widespread, with 50% of disabled patients in the UK reporting it in 2023 and sizable shares also avoiding or delaying care elsewhere, including 30% of disabled US adults delaying care in 2022 and 40% of Australians avoiding doctors in 2022.
05 · Category
Physical Accessibility25 stats
01
35% of US public transit users with disabilities reported accessibility discrimination in 2022
02
UK 2023: 60% disabled find public transport inaccessible
03
WHO 2023: 1 billion people with disabilities face mobility discrimination daily
04
US ADA complaints: 12,000 on public accommodations accessibility in 2022
05
Australia 2022: 50% wheelchair users denied building access
06
Canada 2023: 45% disabled report transport discrimination
07
EU 2023: 55% disabled face airport accessibility issues
08
India 2022: 80% public buildings non-accessible to disabled
09
Brazil 2023: 65% disabled report street barrier discrimination
10
South Africa 2022: Only 10% public transport accessible
11
Japan 2021: 30% stations lack elevators for disabled
12
Germany 2023: 20% disabled denied hotel access due to barriers
13
France 2022: 15,000 accessibility complaints in public spaces
14
US 2023: 40% disabled can't access sidewalks properly
15
UK 2022: 70% disabled avoid shops due to access discrimination
16
Global: 90% low-income countries lack accessible infrastructure per World Bank 2023
17
Australia airports: 35% disabled report discrimination in 2023
18
Canada rail: 25% accessibility failures for disabled
19
WHO 2022: Urban planning ignores 15% population with disabilities
20
US DOJ 2022: 8,000 Title III ADA lawsuits on accessibility
21
UK stations: 40% lack step-free access for disabled
22
Nigeria 2023: 95% roads impassable for wheelchairs
23
Mexico 2022: 55% public venues non-compliant with accessibility
24
New Zealand 2023: 32% disabled face parking discrimination
25
Sweden 2022: 12% public facilities fully accessible
Interpretation
Physical Accessibility Interpretation
Across physical accessibility, the evidence shows a consistent high level of everyday barriers, with major transport and building access problems affecting roughly 45% to 60% of disabled people in the UK, Canada, and Australia and with WHO estimating 1 billion people with disabilities face mobility discrimination daily.
report visual · Key figures
Disability discrimination is widespread across contexts
Across countries, the share of disabled people reporting stigma and discrimination in daily life is consistently high.
70%
Globally, 70% of disabled report attitudinal discrimination in daily life per WHO 2023
60%
US 2022: 60% disabled experienced public stigma or harassment
80%
UK 2023: 80% disabled faced negative attitudes in last year
54%
Australia 2022: 54% disabled report verbal harassment due to disability
48%
Canada 2023: 48% disabled experienced discrimination in social settings
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Disability Discrimination Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/disability-discrimination-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Disability Discrimination Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/disability-discrimination-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Disability Discrimination Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/disability-discrimination-statistics.
Sources & references
95 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level