Detailed and accurate statistics about the number of people with
specific impairments are not easy to obtain, but here are some
estimates:
Mental illness / psychiatric disabilities: Around
one in every five Australians, or over three million people, experience
mental health problems of some kind, with 170,000 experiencing at least
one schizophrenic episode, and up to ten per cent experiencing
depressive disorders (HREOC’s “National Inquiry into the Human Rights
of People with Mental Illness” report, 1993). This includes ten per
cent of mothers experiencing postnatal depression (W.A. Disability
Services Commission’s “Disability Counts” report, 1997).
Physical disabilities: 2.6 million or 14 percent of
Australians have a physical disability of some kind (ABS). This
includes, for example, people with respiratory disorders such as
asthma, people with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis,
cerebral palsy and epilepsy, people with musculoskeletal disorders such
as arthritis and spinal injuries and people with immunological
disorders such as HIV/AIDS, as well as people with other disorders such
as diabetes, kidney disease or cancer.
Sensory disabilities: Over one million Australians
have a significant hearing impairment, and around 30,000 are totally
deaf. Around 300,000 have substantial vision impairment (not
correctable by glasses), and around 20,000 are totally blind
(Commonwealth Disability Strategy).
Intellectual disabilities: Approximately two per
cent of the Australian population, or 400,000 people, have an
intellectual impairment (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare,
1997).