Oklahomans with Disabilities Basic Statistics

2007 Oklahoma Disability Statistics Community Survey results conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Putting It Into Perspective

The Prevalence of Disability in Oklahoma
2008 data from the Census American Community Survey

Note: Most data does not include persons living in nursing homes or institutions.

• Oklahoma population age 5 and over, civilian, non-institutionalized, in 2008: 3,550,098
• Oklahomans with disabilities, age 5 and over, civilian, non-institutionalized: 583,023
• 16.4% of Oklahomans age 5 and over – one in six - have disabilities.
• Year 2000 population in nursing homes and institutions for people with disabilities (latest available data): 31,214
• 181,173 Oklahomans (all ages) have hearing difficulties.
• 120,130 Oklahomans (all ages) have vision difficulties.
• 215,909 Oklahomans (age 5 and up) have cognitive difficulties.
• 322,059 Oklahomans (age 5 and up) have ambulatory difficulties.
• 107,058 Oklahomans (age 5 and up) have self-care difficulties.
• 180,880 Oklahomans (age 18+) have independent living difficulties.
• 325,535 (14.9%) work-age Oklahomans (18-64) have disabilities.
• In 2008, 29.7% of Oklahomans age 16 and over with disabilities were employed, compared to 70.1% of persons without disabilities.
• In 2008, 67.4% of Oklahomans age 16 and over with disabilities were not in the labor force, compared to 26.8% of those without disabilities.
• 208,716 or 44.8% of Oklahomans age 65 and over have disabilities, not counting persons living in nursing homes or other institutions.
• Oklahomans with disabilities are poor at a higher rate than Oklahomans without disabilities. In 2008, 21.8% of persons with disabilities age 16 and over had incomes below the federal poverty level, compared to 12% of people without disabilities. More persons with disabilities also lived in near poverty. Altogether, 36.7% of Oklahomans with disabilities age 16 and over had incomes below 150% of poverty, compared to 20.7% of people without disabilities.

2008 Population Comparisons

• Oklahomans with disabilities 583,023
• Population of City of Oklahoma City 546,873
• Population of City of Tulsa 388,890
• School enrollment grades K-12 649,484
• Oklahomans age 65 and over 465,413
• Civilian veterans 316,987