A disability that is severe and affects how a person is able to live their life is classified as a 'profound/severe core activity restriction' .
In 2008, one-half of Indigenous adults had some form of disability . Around one-in-twelve Indigenous adults had a profound/severe core activity restriction.
Disability becomes more common as people get older . In 2008, disability, including profound/severe core restriction, was more common for Indigenous adults than non-Indigenous adults in every age-group (Figure 1), and a higher proportion of Indigenous adults required assistance with a core activity from a younger age. Overall, Indigenous adults were more than twice as likely as non-Indigenous adults to have a profound/severe core restriction .
Figure 1. Proportions (%) of Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults with a profound/severe core restriction, by age-group (years), Australia (non-remote areas), 2008
Source: SCRGSP, 2011