Perspective - The growth of disabilities.(aging and disability statistics)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

The proportion of people with disabilities will rise in the coming years as baby boomers age.

It's a fact of life: disabilities increase with age. For example, 36% of people aged 55 to 64 have some form of disability, compared to 24% for people between 45 and 54 years old and 15% for those aged 22 to 44. Disabilities are even more common among seniors: 47% for those between 65 and 79 years old and 72% for people 80 or older.

These figures are from a Royal Bank study and are for the United States, where data are more readily available and comprehensive than in Canada. However, authors John McCallum and Derek Holt point out that the demographics of the two …