WHO estimates 90% of people who need assistive technology lack access to it. That unmet need intersects with health impacts, including an average of 12.2 days of poor mental health among US adults with disabilities. The article connects these gaps to workplace accommodations, digital exclusion rates, and the policies meant to close them.
Key Takeaways
- WHO estimates 90% of people who need assistive technology do not have access to it
- The average number of days with poor mental health among US adults with disabilities was 12.2 in 2022 (CDC)
- There are 2.5 billion people worldwide who have a vision impairment or blindness (WHO; includes disability-related vision impairments)
- 11.9% of the global population reported having a disability (age-standardized, 2019)
- People with disabilities in the US have a lower employment rate than those without disabilities; the employment-population ratio gap was 23.2 percentage points in 2022
- The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was signed into law on July 26, 1990
- The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) entered into force on 3 May 2008
- EU Employment Equality Framework Directive 2000/78/EC was adopted on 27 November 2000
- Employers report cost as a barrier: 49% of surveyed organizations cite cost as a reason for not providing workplace accommodations (US job accommodation survey)
- The median time to implement an accommodation is 1–2 weeks (JAN)
- People with disabilities are 1.3 times more likely to experience digital exclusion than those without disabilities (OECD, 2023)
- The assistive technology market is projected to reach $7.6 billion by 2028 (MarketsandMarkets projection)
- The hearing aids market is projected to reach $12.5 billion by 2028 (IMARC projection)
- The global power wheelchair market was valued at $3.5 billion in 2023 (vendor report)
Millions face unmet access to assistive technology, from vision and hearing loss to mental health, employment, and digital inclusion.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health & Well Being5 stats
01
WHO estimates 90% of people who need assistive technology do not have access to it
02
The average number of days with poor mental health among US adults with disabilities was 12.2 in 2022 (CDC)
03
There are 2.5 billion people worldwide who have a vision impairment or blindness (WHO; includes disability-related vision impairments)
04
There are 1 billion people worldwide with hearing loss; this is a significant driver of disability
05
WHO estimates 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental health conditions during their lifetime (mental health conditions are a major disability cause)
Interpretation
Health & Well Being Interpretation
In Health and Well Being, the scale is clear as 90% of people who need assistive technology lack it and billions live with vision impairment or hearing loss, showing how access gaps and preventable health challenges compound disability worldwide.
02 · Category
Global Prevalence1 stats
01
11.9% of the global population reported having a disability (age-standardized, 2019)
Interpretation
Global Prevalence Interpretation
Under the Global Prevalence angle, about 11.9% of the world’s population reported having a disability in 2019, showing that disability affects roughly one in nine people globally.
03 · Category
Employment & Income1 stats
01
People with disabilities in the US have a lower employment rate than those without disabilities; the employment-population ratio gap was 23.2 percentage points in 2022
Interpretation
Employment & Income Interpretation
In the Employment and Income category, people with disabilities in the US are held back in the labor market since the employment population ratio gap is 23 percentage points compared with people without disabilities.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy & Legal6 stats
01
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was signed into law on July 26, 1990
02
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) entered into force on 3 May 2008
03
EU Employment Equality Framework Directive 2000/78/EC was adopted on 27 November 2000
04
In the EU, the European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) applies from 28 June 2025
05
UK Equality Act 2010 received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010
06
In Australia, Disability Discrimination Act 1992 commenced on 1 March 1993
Interpretation
Policy & Legal Interpretation
Policy and legal protections for disability rights have expanded across major jurisdictions over time, with landmark frameworks spanning from the ADA’s 1990 enactment to the European Accessibility Act taking effect in 2025, showing an ongoing move toward broader and more enforceable accessibility requirements.
05 · Category
Workplace & Inclusion3 stats
01
Employers report cost as a barrier: 49% of surveyed organizations cite cost as a reason for not providing workplace accommodations (US job accommodation survey)
02
The median time to implement an accommodation is 1–2 weeks (JAN)
03
People with disabilities are 1.3 times more likely to experience digital exclusion than those without disabilities (OECD, 2023)
Interpretation
Workplace & Inclusion Interpretation
For the Workplace & Inclusion category, the data suggests that while many accommodations can be put in place in just 1 to 2 weeks, 49% of employers still cite cost as a barrier, and digital exclusion remains a real risk, with people with disabilities 1.3 times more likely to experience it than those without.
06 · Category
Assistive Tech & Market6 stats
01
The assistive technology market is projected to reach $7.6 billion by 2028 (MarketsandMarkets projection)
02
The hearing aids market is projected to reach $12.5 billion by 2028 (IMARC projection)
03
The global power wheelchair market was valued at $3.5 billion in 2023 (vendor report)
04
The prosthetics market is projected to reach $14.4 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research projection)
05
The global mobility aids market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2021 to 2030 (AMR)
06
In the OECD countries, digital accessibility policies affect procurement requirements for ICT accessibility by 2020+ in 18 countries (OECD survey)
Interpretation
Assistive Tech & Market Interpretation
Across Assistive Tech & Market, the outlook is strongly expanding with the assistive technology market projected to hit $7.6 billion by 2028 and mobility aids growing at a 4.8% CAGR from 2021 to 2030, signaling rising demand for assistive products alongside growing digital accessibility requirements in OECD countries.
report visual · Comparison
Disability prevalence and access gaps
Global disability prevalence and major access barriers show how many people are affected and how far support can fall short.
WHO estimates 90% of people who need assistive technology do not have access to it90%
Employers report cost as a barrier: 49% of surveyed organizations cite cost as a reason for not providing workplace acco
49%
11.9% of the global population reported having a disability (age-standardized, 2019)
11.9%
source-verifiedghdx.healthdata.org · who.int · askjan.org2019
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
Thomas Lindqvist. (2026, February 13). Disability Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/disability-statistics
MLA
Thomas Lindqvist. "Disability Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/disability-statistics.
Chicago
Thomas Lindqvist. 2026. "Disability Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/disability-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+6 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)