Disability facts

Statistics about disability

The 2015 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reveals statistics about people with disability in Australian including:

• 4.3 million Australians are estimated to have disability or 18.3% of the population.
• 18.3% of the Queensland population or just less than 1 in every 5 Queenslanders have a disability.
• An estimated 261,300 Queenslanders of all ages have a profound or severe disability. People with a profound or severe disability require assistance in everyday activities, including core activities such as self-care, mobility and communication (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2018).

Myths about disability

This helpful resource developed by ‘Together We Rock!’ goes through some of the common myths and misconceptions about disability. Misconceptions can occur due to fear, lack of understanding or prejudice. Taking time to understand common misconceptions about people with disability and understanding the facts will support you to be more respectful and informed when working with people who have a disability.

Inclusivity and language

The Queensland Government resource A way with words: Guidelines for the portrayal of people with a disability (2012) is a useful resource when writing about, talking about or portraying people with disability. Language has the power to shape and influence people’s views, feelings and thoughts, therefore the language you use has the potential to become a person’s reality.  People need to be seen and considered before their disability.

How to be disability inclusive is a resource developed by the Disability Advocacy Research Unit (DARU) that provides information and guidelines on disability etiquette, writing on or talking about people with disability, and engaging with people who have different disabilities.