The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) defines disability as a substantial limitation in a major life activity.  The Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) contains questions about the ability to perform a number of activities.  If an individual reported having difficulty performing a specific activity, a follow-up question usually determined if the level of difficulty was severe or not.  Responses to these and related questions were used to arrive at two overall measures of disability status.  The criteria used to classify individuals by disability status are explained in the box on the next page.

This report presents information on the number and characteristics of individuals with disabilities and is based on data collected in wave 5 of the 1996 Panel of the SIPP.  Wave 5 data were collected from August to November 1997.  The SIPP is a household survey, and the estimates in this report exclude the population in institutions.  Approximately 32,000 households were interviewed during wave 5 of the 1996 Panel.