Education

• Students, aged 21 and under, receiving federally supported services for students with
  disabilities in 1977: 3,692,000
• Number receiving such services in 1996: 5,573,000
• Percent that this number increased between 1977 and 1996: 50.9%
• Percentage increase in number of students with learning disabilities between 1977 and 1996: 223%
• Percent increase in number of students with emotional disabilities between 1977 and 1996: 54.7%
• Percent decrease in number of students with mental retardation between 1977 and 1996: 40.5%
• Percent decrease in number of students with hearing impairments between 1977 and 1996: 22.9%
• Percent of all students in 1977 with a disability: 8.3%
• Percent of all students in 1996 with a disability: 12.4%
• Percent of all students in 1977 with a learning disability: 1.8%
• Percent of all students in 1996 with a learning disability: 5.8%
  (Source: National Center on Education Statistics)
  
  (Note: Charts on this site are not compatible with screen-reading software.)
  
  
• Among people with disabilities between 25 and 64 years of age, ratio of the number of people who have not completed high school to the number of people who have completed college: 16:1
• Among people with severe disabilities: 32:1
  (Source: Census Bureau)
  
  
• Percentage of all 1994 high school graduates who enrolled in postsecondary education: 70.4
• Percentage of 1994 high school graduates with disabilities who enrolled in postsecondary education: 62.8
• Percentage of 1994 high school graduates with orthopedic disabilities who enrolled in postsecondary education: 73.9
• Percentage of 1994 high school graduates with learning disabilities who enrolled in postsecondary education: 57.5
• Average 1994 full-time salary for 1992-1993 bachelor's degree recipients with no disabilities: $25,219
• Average 1994 full-time salary for 1992-1993 bachelor's degree recipients with disabilities: $26,988
• Unemployment rate for 1992-1993 bachelor's degree recipients with no disabilities: 4
• Unemployment rate for 1992-1993 bachelor's degree recipients with disabilities: 11
• Percentage of male 1995-1996 undergraduate students with disabilities who reported having a learning disability: 27.1
• Percentage of female 1995-1996 undergraduate students with disabilities who reported having a learning disability: 31.4
• Rank of business management, humanities, and health of major fields of study undertaken by 1995-1996 undergraduate students with no disabilities: 1,2,3
• Rank of business management, humanities, and health of major fields of study undertaken by 1995-1996 undergraduate students with disabilities: 1,2,3
• Percentage of 1995-1996 undergraduates with no disabilities who participated in volunteer services in
  college: 32.3
  Percentage of 1995-1996 undergraduates with disabilities who participated in volunteer services in college: 39.2
• Average SAT score of 1994 students with no disabilities: 945
• Average SAT score of 1994 students with disabilities: 875
• Average SAT score of 1994 students with learning disabilities: 775
• Percentage of 1992-1993 college graduates without disabilities working as managers or administrators: 19.7
• Percentage of 1992-1993 college graduates with learning disabilities working as managers or administrators: 33.3
  (Source: National Center for Education Statistics)
  
  
• Percentage of people with disabilities in the workforce with less than a high school degree: 16
• Percentage of people with disabilities in the workforce with a college degree: 50.6
  (Source: Chartbook on Work and Disability in the United States)
  
  
• Ratio of boys to girls in the special education population: 2:1
  (Source: Chartbook on Women and Disability in the United States)
  
  
• Percentage of children receiving special education services in regular classrooms: 39.8
  (Source: Chartbook on Disability in the United States)
  
  
• Percent of students with disabilities leaving secondary school in 1991-92 who received a high school diploma: 43.9
• Percent who received a certificate of completion or a modified diploma: 13.4
• Percent of students who are deaf or hard of hearing leaving secondary school in 1991-92 who graduated with a diploma or certificate: 73
• Percent of students with mental retardation who graduated: 63.8
• Percent of students with emotional disabilities who graduated: 34.6
  (Source: Disability Statistics Center, University of California-San Francisco)
  
  
• Percent of people with severe disabilities without a high school diploma who are active in the labor force: 17.3
• Percent of people with severe disabilities with a high school diploma who are active in the labor force: 31.2
  Percent of people with severe disabilities with a college degree who are active in the labor force: 52.4
  (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)