Who are the people with disabilities in France ? According to the law of February 11, 2005, “constitutes a disability any limitation of activity or restriction of participation in life in society undergone in his environment by a person due to a substantial, lasting or definitive alteration of one or more physical, sensory, mental, cognitive or psychic functions , a multiple disability or a disabling health problem.
Two criteria are generally used to talk about disability:
- Declare a severe limitation in a physical, sensory or cognitive function;
- Declare a severe restriction for more than six months for health reasons in the activities that people usually do.
According to new report de la Drees published this April 21, in 2021 in France, 6.8 million (12.5%) people aged 15 and over living at home say they have at least one severe limitation in one physical, sensory or cognitive function, i.e. they cannot walk 500 meters on flat ground, climb a flight of stairs, raise an arm above your head, use your hands or fingers, or see or hear, or make appropriate decisions in everyday life.
Between 2.6 and 8.0 million people with disabilities or dependents
“4.8% of children aged 5 to 14 living at home in France (i.e. approximately 400,000 children) are disabled, whether due to a severe sensory, physical or cognitive limitation, or due to a strong restriction in activities of daily living“, indicates the report of the Drees.
Nearly 3.4 million people (6.2% of people aged 15 or over) say they are severely restricted in their usual activities due to a health problem. In total, we therefore count we count between 2.6 million and 8.0 million people with disabilities or dependent on 15 at home in France.
That’s not counting the most 140,000 people aged 16 or over housed in a specialized establishment in the treatment of disability. At the end of 2018, 197,300 children and adolescents with disabilities were supported, i.e. 1% of all under-20s, and 311,700 adults, i.e. 0.6% of the population aged 20 or over.
How many students with disabilities attend school? Over the 2021-2022 school year, 212,400 students with disabilities enrolled in primary education, and 197,000 in secondary education.
Source :
- Disability in figures – 2023 edition, Drees, 21 April 2023
