Number, category, employment… What are the disability figures in France?

There are several types of disabilities listed in France. The Ministry of Health estimates that nearly 7 million French people have at least one disability in France.

As the Paralympic Games begin on Wednesday, August 28, with an opening ceremony that promises to “shake up the way we look at” disability, franceinfo looks at the state of disability in France. According to an assessment by the Ministry of Health, nearly 7 million people aged 15 and over living at home report being severely limited physically, sensorily or cognitively in their daily lives due to a health problem.

Then there is a stricter definition, with two health problems combined. In this case, the number of disabled people is 2.6 million. It must be remembered that in these figures there are a large number of elderly people. To these figures must be added 140,000 people aged 16 or over who live in a specialised institution for the disabled.

Not all of these people suffer from the same disability, there are several categories. The first: motor disability, which limits the ability to move, to move. There is also sensory disability, on vision or hearing, psychological disability, which brings together mental, affective or emotional disorders that will disrupt intellectual functions. Mental disability concerns intellectual deficiencies that prevent understanding and communicating. Finally, there are disabling diseases: respiratory, digestive, infectious diseases.

Nearly 410,000 children with disabilities are in school, in primary or secondary education. In 20 years, the number of children with disabilities in school has more than doubled in France, they represent 3% of students. Most of the time, they are helped by companions. Among these children with disabilities, only 20% are educated in specialized establishments.

Regarding the world of work, according to INSEE, 2.8 million people of working age have either a disability or a loss of autonomy, and 630,000 are employed. In general, they exercise a lesser variety of jobs than the population as a whole.

Finally, last indicator: in France, nearly 1.3 million people benefit from the allowance for disabled adults (AAH), which provides a minimum income. It is calculated according to the family and professional situation and the person’s own resources. The full-rate allowance is a little over 1,000 euros per month for a single person.