ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES (LD)

• For those with LD who are working, the average income is $14,000/year, whereas, in the general population the average income per year is $23,000.
• 43% of the LD population live at or below the poverty line; in the general population those who live below the poverty line represent 18%.
• 48% of the LD population are out of the work force or unemployed, whereas, only 26% of the general population is out of the work force or unemployed.
• Less than 16% of those with LD receive services as adults for their LD.
• 35% of students with LD drop out of high school -twice the rate of their non LD peers (Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study, Wagner, 1991 ).
• 62% of students with LD were unemployed one year after graduating from high school (Source: National Longitudinal Transition Study, Wagner, 1991 ).
• 50% of females with LD were single mothers within three to five years after leaving school (Source: N. L. T. Study, Wagner, 1991).
• Up to 60% of adolescents in treatment for substance abuse have identified LD (Source: Hazelden Foundation, Minnesota, 1992).
• 10%-12% of adolescents with LD become involved with the criminal justice system compared to 2.5% of the general population (Source: Ontario government, 1986).
  Adults with LD typically hold a job for three months, the traditional probationary period (Source: Ontario government, 1984 ).
• 60% of adults with severe literacy problems have undetected or untreated LD (Source: National Adult Literacy and LD Centre, 1994 ).
• LD and substance abuse are the most common impediments to keeping welfare clients from becoming and remaining employed (Source: US government, 1992).
• LD are the only major disability area where the existence of the condition is treated with scepticism and where the person who has the condition is blamed for his or her situation (Report of the Interministerial Working Group on LD 1992).

AUGUST 2002