Our Population
Disability
The New Zealand Disability Survey (2013) provides information about the number of disabled children and adults living in New Zealand. Disability was defined in the survey as “long-term limitation (resulting from impairment) in a person’s ability to carry out daily activities” [12]. A person (adult or child) may appear in more than one disability type.
This indicator presents the proportion of the Canterbury region and New Zealand population living in private households with a disability, by type, using New Zealand Disability Survey data, 2013.
Table 10.1: Proportion of the Canterbury region population living in private households with a disability, by type, 2013
| Type of disability |
Canterbury |
New Zealand |
|
Hearing |
10% |
8% |
|
Seeing |
4% |
4% |
|
Mobility |
12% |
12% |
|
Agility |
7% |
7% |
|
Intellectual |
2% |
2% |
|
Psychiatric/ psychological |
7% |
5% |
|
Speaking |
3% |
3% |
|
Learning |
4% |
4% |
|
Memory |
4% |
3% |
|
Total with impairment |
25% |
23% |
The table shows that the proportion of the Canterbury region population living with a disability was similar to the national proportion, both overall and by disability type. In Canterbury, mobility (12%) and hearing (10%) impairments were the most common disabilities, followed by agility (7%) and psychiatric/psychological (7%) disabilities.
Data Sources
Source: Statistics New Zealand.
Survey/data set: New Zealand Disability Survey 2013. Access publicly available data from the Statistics New Zealand website www.archive.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/health/disabilities/DisabilitySurvey_HOTP2013/Commentary.aspx
Source data frequency: Previously 5 yearly, now 10 yearly.