What do the figures regarding disabilities in France tell us? With the release of the report issued by the DREES (management of research, studies, evaluation, and statistics) on that topic in April 2023, numerous elements are given to answer this question. Here is a realistic overview regarding work, schooling, and discriminations towards disabilities. It reveals the challenges that people suffering from a disability face as well as the opportunities for improvement we have at our disposal.
Figures regarding disabilities in France: overview of 2023
There exists a lot of different situations regarding people suffering from a disability. That is why figures related to disabilities in France deserve to be considered from several angles. The DREES’s report talks about those figures in that regard.
The figures related to the number of disabled people vary depending on the used criteria to identify them statistically.
The study estimates that 6.8 million people who are aged 15 or more say they experience discomfort on a daily basis. Their disability can be caused by:
- A motor deficiency;
- A hearing or a visual deficiency;
- An intellectual deficiency;
- A health problem;
- Etc.
Autonomy loss affects approximately 3.4 million people in France.
To be even more precise, between 0.9 and 3.3 million people aged between 15 and 60 would be suffering from a disability. To add to these key figures, more than 140 000 people aged 16 and more live in a specialised structure. The total number of disabled people aged 15 and more who live in their home varies between 2.6 and 7.6 million people. The figures are different each time because it depends on the definition of disabilities the study used: several definitions exist and they do not include the same “disabilities”.
Statistics about adults suffering from a disability
9% of the French population aged from 15 to 59 suffer from a disability. It represents approximately 3.8 million people. Other figures about disabilities in France are also important:
- 4% of people who present a deficiency suffer from severe functional limitations which restrain them in their professional activities.
- 3% benefit from adapted housing or technical help
- 5% of adults suffering from a disability are taken care of by one or several members of their family.
On that note, the number of disabled people tend to rise along with age. If we look at people that are aged 60 and more:
- 6% of people suffer from cognitive troubles;
- 17% have a motor disability;
- 24% suffer from a functional limitation;
- 10% have a hearing deficiency.
Sometimes disabilities appear in several ways. It is the case for 2% of the population that is aged 60 and more.
Finally, DREES’s statistics also take note of the fact that woman suffer from more important functional limitations than men after the age of 45.
Disabilities and employment: the figures in France
Let us talk about the key figures related to the employment of disabled people. They show that people who are labelled as disabled have less job variety than able-bodied.
Disabled people benefit from having their disability acknowledged in an administrative way but have way more limited carrier choices.
Thus, 37% of the jobs held by people suffering from disabilities are split among 20 different kinds of jobs.
According to the INSEE (national institute for statistics and economic studies), the unemployment rate of disabled people reached 12% in 2022, it is twice as high as the rate of the total population.
Faced with this situation, it becomes urgent to promote inclusion and to set up measures which favour equal access to a large variety of jobs.
The figures on the allocation for disabled adults
The allocation for disabled adults (AAH) is one of the financial aids which aims to guarantee disabled people a minimum number of resources.
There are also other allowances for compensations:
- The disability compensation benefit (PCH in French);
- The autonomous living increase (MVA);
- The allowance for the education of disabled children (AEEH).
- Etc.
In reality, only 50% of people suffering from a disability truly live alone. They often live in their parent’s or their brother/sister’s house. Most of them do not have children to support.
The figures on children with disabilities
The figures on disabilities in France regarding children are the following:
- 0.9% of children suffer severely from a disability.
- 3.4% of them suffer from a mental deficiency.
- 0.9% of them suffer from a motor disability.
- 1% of them suffer from a sensory disability.
It must be noted that boys are more affected than girls.
Figures on the schooling of disabled children
In France, the 409 000 children who suffer from a deficiency go to a classic school:
- 212 400 of them are in primary school
- 197 000 of them are in middle- or high-school
The study also shows that in 2018, 167 300 children are cared for in a health and social structure:
- 50% of them have a cognitive limitation;
- 28% of them suffer from a psychological deficiency.
Discrimination towards disabilities: where are we at?
In April 2023, the Defender of Rights published its annual activity report. Let’s see what the assessment on disabilities for 2023 is.
State of play in France
For the 6th consecutive year, disabilities remain the first motif for discriminations. People suffering from disabilities are going through numerous contentions regarding:
- Employment;
- Insurance,
- Spoken violence;
- Etc.
So, how is it possible to get things moving to live in a more inclusive society?
Change how people view disabilities
At PlayMoovin’, we have chosen sport as a mean to fight against prejudices on disabilities. We have made a sport wheelchair, the FreeMoovin’ which is quite cheap. It is made of solid plastic and is useful for any disability awareness activity, be it for:
- preschool and primary school students;
- teens studying in middle- or in high-school;
- Adults in companies;
- Etc.
It also allows people with reduced mobility to practice a physical activity in a leisurely way such as:
- Quad rugby;
- Wheelchair tennis;
- Wheelchair handball;
- Etc.
Figures on disabilities highlighted in this report reveal the obstacles which disabled people still face. Fighting against prejudices and changing mentalities are some of the keys to create a society which values diversity. Do you want to shift the way people think with us? What if we talked about it?
Sources
https://www.defenseurdesdroits.fr/rapport-annuel-dactivite-2022-254
