The Tribune

MORE than six per cent of the population of Spanish Wells, Long Island, Acklins and Crooked Island has a disability of some kind according to statistics published by the Department of Statistics.

There were 10,138 disabled persons in the country of which males, numbering 5,250, accounted
for more than half (51.8 per cent).

The most common form of disability was a lack of mobility due to paralysis or dismemberment which was the reason for almost one quarter of the persons being disabled.

For both, males, 21 per cent, and females, 25 per cent, this was the most prevalent form of disability.
Blindness and mental disorders were the other major causes of disability accounting for 11.5 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.

With the exception of Bimini, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, the number of males with disability outnumbered afflicted females on all islands.

The figures were contained in a report entitled 2010 Census Disability Report released by the DOS yesterday.

By virtue of the size of the population, New Providence had the most disabled persons, 6,737, accounting for two-thirds of all the disabled individuals in the country.

However, as a percentage of the total population on that island, disabled persons accounted for 2.7 per cent.

This proportion was significantly lower than the findings in Crooked Island where 7.9 per cent of the population had a disability representing the largest proportion on any of the islands.

On Acklins, Long Island and Spanish Wells approximately six per cent of the population was reported as having a disability.

Inagua, with slightly less than two per cent of its population being classified as disabled was the lowest in the country.

Nine per cent of the disabled population in the country had multiple disabilities.

Twenty-nine per cent of the disabled persons were in this condition as a result of disease or
some form of illness while one quarter of them was born with the disability.

An additional 17 per cent were disabled as a result of an accident.