14% of Donegal’s population has a disability

The latest figures from 2011 Census show that over 22 thousand people in Donegal have a disability.
This represents 14% of the county’s population and compares to a national average of 13%.
The majority of those with a disability in Donegal have a condition which limits one or more basic physical activity or have a chronic illness.
Over 5 thousand people in Donegal suffer blindness or serious visual impairment or a serious hearing impairment.
Just over 2000 people have an intellectual disability, over 5000 have a learning difficulty while 3,100 people have a psychological or emotional condition.
Today’s release also focuses on carers and particularly those who are unpaid. Across the country the census showed that a total of 187 thousand persons or 4.1 per cent of the total population were providing unpaid assistance to others in April 2011 (census night).
Of these carers 61% were women and 39% men.
It also showed that 4,228 children aged under 15 years were engaged in providing care to others, accounting for 2.3 per cent of all carers.