ONS - Disability: When the numbers alone are simply not enough

View as a webpage

ONS Logo Large

ONS blog

3 April 2023

Disability: When the numbers alone are simply not enough

Statistically Speaking - The official ONS podcast

The most recent estimates suggest one in five people in the UK are disabled. But to really understand the nature of those disabilities and the needs of people reporting them we need to do a lot more work.   

In this episode of Statistically Speaking we look at what’s being done to gain insight into the lives of disabled children and adults and provide high quality qualitative data that reflects the day-to-day lives of all people in our society.  

We unpick what disability means to different people; step back and assess the pandemic’s impact and its lasting effects; look at the ways our data reflect society’s constantly changing perception of what disability is; and discuss how the younger generation is spotlighting the need to capture the experiences of neurodivergent people. We also examine how this cohort fares in the labour market, comparing earnings and opportunities with their non-disabled counterparts. 

Read our blog

Find a direct download link to this podcast episode here.

Statistics for the Public Good

For further information on this or other ONS releases, or to arrange broadcast and print interviews, please contact Media Relations on 020 3973 4761, email: Media.Relations@ons.gov.uk

Please note the ONS publishes market sensitive releases at 07:00. Other statistics are released at 09:30 unless specified. Full details on our Release Calendar

News about the ONS and insight on the work behind the numbers is available by following @ONSfocus on Twitter.