The national charity and leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity

Facts and statistics

Found 31 facts and statistics.

• Disabled people and the internet

  Disabled people in England are less likely than non-disabled people to have accessed the internet in 2019 (78 per cent vs 95 per cent). 18 per cent of disabled adults had still never used the internet compared with 4 per cent of non-disabled adults. 

  Source:

  Office of National Statistics, Internet Users 2019

• Disabled people in England

  There are 10.9 million disabled people in England, accounting for one in five of the total population. This is down from 11.5 million in 2016-17 but up from 9.9 million since 2013-14.

  Source:

  DWP Family Resources Survey 2017-2018

• Social barriers

  In 2015, more than half (53 per cent) thought that as a disabled person there are more barriers to making and keeping friends. This rose to more than three quarters (77 per cent) for young disabled people aged 18-34.

  Source:

  Sense, A right to friendship? Challenging the barriers to friendship for people with disabilities 2015

• Disabled people's experiences

  In 2018, one in three (32 per cent) disabled people said that there is a lot of prejudice against disabled people in Britain. 

  Source:

  Scope, Disability Perception Gap 2018

• Motivators for activity

  Seven in ten (70 per cent) disabled people are motivated to be active to improve or maintain their physical health. More than half (54 per cent) are motivated to lose or maintain weight and almost half (45 per cent) to get fit. 

  Source:

  Activity Alliance, Annual Disability and Activity Survey, 2019-20

• Disabled people's activity levels

  Disabled adults are twice as likely as non-disabled adults to be physically inactive (42 per cent vs 21 per cent). 

  Source:

  Sport England, Active Lives Adult Survey November 2017-18

• Role of health and sports professionals

  Two in three (67 per cent) disabled people said they would listen to GPs, doctors and nurses about taking part in activity. Three in five (59 per cent) disabled people chose physiotherapists, occupational therapists and other medical professionals.

  Source:

  Activity Alliance, Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2019-20

• Impairments and activity level

  Inactivity increases with the number of impairments an individual has. 51 per cent of people with three or more impairments are inactive compared to 31 per cent of people with one impairment. 

  Source:

  Sport England, Active Lives Adult Survey November 2017-18

• Disabled people's participation

  Four in five (81 per cent) disabled people would like to be more active. 

  Source:

  Activity Alliance, Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2019-20

• Perceptions of sport

  One in three (32 per cent) disabled people agree that 'sport' is for someone like them.  

  Source:

  Activity Alliance, Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2019-20

• Participation with disabled people

  In 2016, just 14 per cent of non-disabled people were aware of having previously taken part in sport with disabled people. However, almost three quarters (73 per cent) of non-disabled people said they were open to taking part in sport with disabled people. 

  Source:

  Activity Alliance, Taking part with disabled people Report 2019

• Disability benefits and activity

  Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of disabled people we spoke to said they rely on benefits to be active. Almost half (47 per cent) are fearful of losing their benefits if they are seen to be more active. More than half (55 per cent) said they were likely to be more active if benefits weren't at risk of being taken away. 

  Source:

  Activity Alliance, The Activity Trap Report 2018