Type of Disability

Table 6.1 shows the population by disability type and sex. The major type of disability in the District relates to sight with 52.8 percent, followed by physical disability with 24.6 percent. Among the types of disability that have been mentioned there are people who have Other Types of disability (7.3%)

Intellect as a type of disability is common to both males and females with the proportion to both sexes being 12.7 percent. Females are more inclined to emotional distress than males and this is proven by the data since the proportion of females with emotional distress (11.5%) is higher than males (10.2%).

Disability by locality.

Table 6.2 shows the population by type of locality, disability type and sex. In the rural areas more than four out of hundred persons have disabilities (4.5%) while in the urban areas about three out of hundred persons have disabilities (3.1%). The major type of disability in both urban and rural localities is sight. However whilst the proportion of the PWDs in the urban areas with sight disability is 53.2 percent, that of the rural area is 52.7 percent.

Besides sight, physical disability is common in both localities (urban-rural). More females have sight or are physically disabled than males in urban areas. The same pattern is observed in rural areas.

Disability and Economic Activity

Table 6.2 shows the number of persons 15 years and older with disability, economic activity status and sex. Whilst the percentage of PWDs to those without disability is 5.5 percent, the percentage of PWD that is employed is 5.2 percent and unemployed is 3.0 percent. This shows that there is a gap between the proportions of PWDs and non-PWDs that are economically active. The percentage of PWDs who are not economically active is 6.6 percent which is higher than the percentage of PWDs who are economically active. Males who are disabled but are employed represent 5.3 percent of disabled male population whilst 5.2 percent of disabled females are employed. Both males and females with sight disability but who are employed constitute 3.1 percent of other types of disability.

There are more females (7.0%) with disability than males (6.0%) who are not economically active. With the exception of intellect and other forms of disability, the variation associated with the types of disability of persons in relation to their economic status is shown in figure 6.3. The proportion of persons who have sight disability but who are economically active is higher (4.4%) than those who are not economically active (3.3%).