Facts About Paralysis - From The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

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Facts About Paralysis - From The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation

Written by Richard Gaskin

Thursday, 20 August 2009 02:02

According to a study initiated by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, there are nearly 1 in 50 people living with paralysis -- approximately 6 million people. That's the same number of people as the combined populations of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. And that number is nearly 33% higher than previous estimates showed.

It means that we all know someone -- a brother, sister, friend, neighbor, or colleague -- living with paralysis.

Prevalence and Demographics

The Reeve Foundation's One Degree of Separation: Paralysis and Spinal Cord Injury in the United States shows over a million more people in the U.S are living with paralysis than previously estimated, and five times more people living with spinal cord injury.
Below are the prevalence and demographics of paralysis and spinal cord injury according to that survey:

Public Policy Recommendations

5 Concrete and Actionable Steps

Implement the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act (CDRPA).
Improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by reforming health care.
Provide better educational opportunities to Americans with disabilities.
Increase employment among people with disabilities and institute protections for them from workplace discrimination.
Support independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities.

Download the Report

One Degree of Separation: Paralysis and Spinal Cord Injury in the United States (Download the entire 28 page PDF report)

Watch the press conference announcing the survey results.

Costs of Living with Spinal Cord Injury

The costs of living with SCI can be considerable, and vary greatly due to the severity of injury. The following facts are according to The University of Alabama National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Average yearly expenses can range from $228,566 to $775,567 in the first year.
Estimated lifetime costs due to spinal cord injury can range from $681,843 to over $3 million for a 25 year old.
87.9% of all spinal cord injured individuals are discharged from hospitals to private homes.