The number of one in five Americans with disabilities is expected to continue to grow. This is an issue that will touch each and every one of us in our lifetime beyond just a surface encounter. One in five. That could be your neighbor injured in a car accident, your elderly parents or your child that is born with an undetected developmental disability. It could be any one of your family or friends.

In 2004, the Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities was conducted for the National Organization on Disability. Here are some of the highlights from the report. For a more detailed look into these findings please visit www.nod.org.

Employment – Although the employment rate among people with disabilities has improved somewhat over the past 18 years, this is still the area where people with disabilities are at the greatest disadvantage compared to the rest of the population.

Income – Perhaps not surprisingly given their lower rates of employment, people with disabilities are much more likely to be living in poverty.

Education – With regard to education, the pattern is the same. Despite notable improvements over the past 18 years, people with disabilities lag far behind their non-disabled counterparts in getting a basic education.

Health Care – People with disabilities are much more likely than people without disabilities to face barriers to health care, despite reporting comparable rates of insurance coverage. The higher likelihood of going without needed services among this population may be cause for particular concern given their greater health-care needs.

Transportation – Even as many of the physical barriers to public places have become less burdensome or have disappeared altogether, transportation remains the key to being able to take full advantage of these advances, with many people with disabilities facing numerous transportation challenges.