Disability – When the Numbers Alone are Simply Not Enough

Disability – When the Numbers Alone are Simply Not Enough

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, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) need to do a lot more work.

In this episode of Statistically Speaking, the ONS looks 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 society.

The ONS unpicks what disability means to different people; steps back and assesses the pandemic’s impact and its lasting effects; look at the ways the ONS data reflects society’s constantly changing perception of what disability is; and discusses how the younger generation is spotlighting the need to capture the experiences of neurodivergent people. The ONS also examines how this cohort fares in the labour market, comparing earnings and opportunities with their non-disabled counterparts.

You can access the podcast episode here