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CHAPTER 2: Identifying Idahoans with DisabilitiesPrevalence of Idahoans with Disabilities
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 | Is there anyone in your household who has difficulty getting around; for example uses a wheelchair; is paralyzed, paraplegic, or quadriplegic; has severe arthritis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or polio- does not have use of arms or legs; has lost a leg or an arm; or uses a walker, crutches, or a cane? |
| Is anyone in your household legally blind; that is, has no vision at all, uses a guide dog, or uses a sighted guide? |
| Does anyone in your household have low vision; that is, can only see with use of aids, magnifying glass, large print, or other aid (not including glasses that correct vision)? |
| Is there anyone in your household who is deaf, uses sign language, writes notes, or uses other nonverbal methods of communicating? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has difficulty hearing; for example, uses hearing aids, or other amplifying devices? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has trouble talking to people or on the phone as a result of a brain injury, a stroke, Parkinson's disease, or Multiple Sclerosis? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has chronic heart disease? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has epilepsy or a seizure disorder? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has diabetes? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has been diagnosed as having mental retardation? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has developmental problems; for example, has trouble learning, has attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, or other similar conditions? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has been diagnosed as having a mental illness such as manic-depressive disorder or schizophrenia? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has depression, anxiety, or another emotional condition? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has gone through an alcohol treatment program, receives Social Security Income or Social Security Disability Income, vocational rehabilitation, or other social services as a result of alcohol use? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has gone through a drug rehabilitation program, receives Social Security Income or Social Security Disability Income, vocational rehabilitation, or other social services as a result of drug use? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has been diagnosed as having AIDS or HIV? |
| Is there anyone in your household who has any other significant health condition not mentioned above? |
The screening questions identified 982 households that contained one or more members who qualified under one or more of the screening questions out of the 2,192 households that completed the screening questions. Accordingly, the Center estimates that as many as 44.8 percent of Idaho households contain one or more people who qualified under at least one of the screening questions. Since there are an estimated total of 581,245 household in Idaho, the Center estimates that there are as many as 260,394 households in Idaho with one or more members who would qualify under one or more of the screening questions.
There were 592 households that answered the question about whether there was more than one household resident who would qualify. Seventy-seven of these reported that more than one person in the household qualified under one or more of the screening questions. Although some respondents indicated that more than two household members qualified under one or more or the screening questions, the Center could not accurately count the actual number of people in each household that qualified. For the purposes of this survey, the Center used a conservative estimate of two qualified residents in each household reporting that more than one qualified. Accordingly, the Center estimates that there is an average of 1.13 qualified residents in each qualifying household. Thus, the Center estimates that there are as many as 294,263 Idahoans living in residential households that may qualify as having a disability under relevant legislation. This number represents 18.74 percent of the total 1,570,413 estimated number of Idahoans. The survey did not attempt to obtain information from Idahoans who do not live in residential households, such as those who live in nursing homes. Had these Idahoans been included, the estimated percentage of all Idahoans who would have passed one or more of the screening questions would have been higher.
Of the 826 households for which the Center recorded the answers to the screening questions, 797 households qualified under one or more of the screening questions developed by the Center--the remaining 29 qualified under the Census questions only. These 797 households reported a total of 1,603 qualifying conditions. In households that have at least one qualified resident, there are an average of approximately two qualifying conditions and an average of 1.13 qualifying residents. Thus, each qualifying individual qualified under approximately 1.8 of the screening questions.
PREVALENCE OF COMMUNICATION-RELATED DISABILITIES
There were 724 households that responded to the question about whether the qualified resident could talk on the phone. Of these, 87 households indicated that the person with the disability was unable to communicate over the telephone. Of those, only 8 households did not have a person that could act as a translator or answer adequately for the actual respondent. Of the 79 households in which a translator or other person was available, 63 answered the question about the relationship to the actual respondent of the person answering the questions.
ALTERNATIVE MEASURES OF IDAHOANS WITH DISABILITIES
The 17 screening questions developed by the Center and the Council were designed to include those who may qualify as having a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or other relevant legislation. The Center also compared the U.S. Census questions concerning disabilities with the results of the screening questions developed by the Center and the Council. As discussed in Chapter 1, the Census asked whether respondents had any of four characteristics for six months or more. The Center asked whether respondents had the characteristic at all, whether they had it for six months or more, and whether they had it 12 months or more. Using the Census-related questions, the Center found that 30 percent of the 797 households that qualified under the screening questions developed by the Center said that their disability either limited the amount of work they could do, prevented them from working at a job, created difficulties for them to leave their home, or made it difficult to care for themselves. Only 29.11 percent had the condition six months or more (the Census threshold), and only 28.11 percent had the condition one year or more. As indicated earlier, 3.5 percent of the qualifying households qualified under the Census questions only. These data suggest that the U.S. Census data may significantly undercount people who qualify as having a disability under relevant legislation.
CHARACTERISTICS OF IDAHOANS WITH DISABILITIES
In any needs assessment survey, it is important to describe the general characteristics of the target population. In this case, it is important to understand the general characteristics of those who qualified for the survey under one or more of the screening questions. The average age of respondents was 53, while 62 percent were women.
The respondents were predominantly non-Hispanic whites.
The most frequently reported employment status was retired. This is consistent with the respondent's average age of 53, which is higher than the average age of 46 in a recent statewide survey of adults conducted by the Center. It also indicates that older people are more likely to have qualifying conditions than younger people.
While most respondents reported having private health insurance, a substantial minority rely on Medicaid or Medicare.
As described in Chapter 1, the survey asked about the extent to which people live independently. The following definition was presented to the respondents: "Independent living means being able to control your life, advocate for yourself, and obtain needed support and services from others when you want it." Respondents were then asked "To what extent do you believe you live independently?" 63.9 percent responded "very independently".
To assess self-efficacy, the survey presented respondents with five sets of paired statements and asked respondents which of each pair they most strongly agreed with. Each pair included a high self-efficacy statement and a low self-efficacy " statement. As an overall measure of self-efficacy, the respondents received one point for each high self-efficacy statement with which they agreed.
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