Washington City Group on Disability Statistics Ottawa (Canada), 9-10 January 2003

1. The OECD experience in using survey-based disability data: An illustration of current possibilities and limitations Washington City Group on Disability Statistics Ottawa (Canada), 9-10 January 2003

2. OECD involvement in the area of disability statistics • Past (late 1970s - early 1980s) - lead role in trying to harmonize disability statistics as part of broad OECD Social Indicators project (“OECD long-term disability list”) - set of questions still used in some countries - but lack of follow-up and lack of international collaboration limited take-up

3. OECD involvement in the area of disability statistics • Current - mainly user of disability statistics - no survey program on health and disability - relying heavily on availability of comparable data from national or international surveys - keen interest therefore in promoting harmonization of survey questions

4. Recurrent demands for OECD to analyse disability data • To monitor health progress for different populations (younger and older) across countries and over time • To forecast pressures on health and social services (for planning purposes) • To evaluate the outcomes of health and disability policies

5. Example of recent OECD use of disability statistics Planning for aging populations • OECD study (1998) reviewed trends in elderly disability rates, to forecast needs and costs: - evidence of decline in severe disability in many countries, but not all • Now planning to update this study: - do recent data show general decline in elderly disability rates across countries? - if not, how to explain differences? • Analysis limited to trends within country, due to data comparability problems

6. Example of recent OECD use of disability statistics “Transforming disability into ability” • Goals of recent OECD study: 1) To review the economic and labour market integration of working-age disabled people across 20 OECD countries 2) To analyse the (in)consistency between income support and employment-oriented disability policies in each country

7. Example of recent OECD use of disability statistics “Transforming disability into ability” • Key findings: - income levels of households with a disabled person broadly similar to those with no disabled person - employment rates of working-age disabled persons rather low however - so income transfer programs do play an important role in guaranteeing income security

8. Example of recent OECD use of disability statistics “Transforming disability into ability” • First data issue: How to identify working-age people with disabilities? - used general question on disability from national population surveys and European Community Household Panel - also found people reporting to be severely disabled do not necessarily receive disability benefit, and vice versa - so no easy & single answer to this question

9. Average disability prevalence of 15% across 16 OECD countries, ranging from 21% in Sweden to 7% in Italy

10. Interpreting cross-country variations in general disability • Not driven by differences in definition: - “disability” defined consistently as self-reported activity limitation due to a health problem • But differences can be driven by: 1) differences in survey questions (can be addressed by further harmonization) 2) cultural factors (might be addressed by use of more culturally-neutral questions, or attempts to calibrate) 3) availability of disability-related programs 4) “real” variations in disability prevalence