The 2000 Census identified 49.7 million people in
the United States with long-term disability, representing 19.3 percent of the
civilian non-institutionalized population. Forty-two percent of this population
over age 65 reported sensory, physical or mental disability severe enough to
limit their ability to work or participate in activities outside the home.
These disabilities result in decreased quality of life for a significant
proportion of the U.S. population. Improving quality of life and
decreasing disability are primary objectives of Healthy People 20102
and new and innovative research related to disability and recovery will be
required to meet these objectives. Read more...
An Institute of Medicine3 report
assessing the role of rehabilitation in health care service delivery defines
rehabilitation science as “… the field
of study that encompasses basic and applied aspects of health sciences, social
sciences and engineering related to restoring functional capacity and improving
a person’s interaction with the surrounding environment.”
The report states, “At this point in the evolution of the nation’s health
care system, emphasis has begun to shift from the quantity of life to the
quality of life. As a result, attention is now being focused not only on the
prevention and treatment of disease and injury but also on rehabilitation and
health promotion for people with disabling conditions.”
3 Brandt E,
Pope AM. Enabling America: Assessing the Role of
Rehabilitation Science and Engineering. Washington, DC:National
Academy Press, 1997, p13.
