According to the US Department of Commerce, a person has a disability when he/she has difficulty with any of the following:

• normal body functions, such as seeing, hearing, talking, or walking
  
  
• activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing or dressing
  
  
• certain expected roles, such as doing housework, schoolwork, or working at a job
  
  
• performing usual activities, such as driving or taking a bus

• Between 34 and 43 million people in the U.S. have some type of disability, with physical, sensory, mental, and self-care effects ranging from mild to severe.
  
• More than 50 percent of persons over age 65 (or 32 million people) have some level of disability.
  
• Nine million people of all ages are severely disabled and need personal assistance for daily activities.
  
• Stroke is the leading cause of long-term, severe disability in Americans. Today, 5.5 million U.S. adults live with the effects of a stroke.
  
• Approximately 1.4 million Americans experience a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year.
  
• About 11,000 people in the U.S. suffer a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) each year. At present, about 250,000 to 450,000 people live with a SCI disability.
  
• Automobile accidents, firearms, and falls are the leading causes of traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries - two of the most severely disabling injuries.