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Disabled Persons

Volume 951: debated on Tuesday 13 June 1978

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asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the total number of (a) registered and (b) unregistered physically disabled persons in Northern Ireland; if he will sub-divide these persons into the various forms of disability, such as blindness, limbless, and deafness; how many in each category are under 18 years of age; how many females are over 60 years of age; and how many males are over 65 years of age.

if he will show the number for each year for each police division or county.

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th June 1978], gave the following information:Figures for punishment shootings have been maintained since 1973 and relate to Belfast, Londonderry and the remainder of Northern Ireland, as follows:

pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th June 1978] gave the following information:On 30th September 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 11,490 physically disabled persons in Northern Ireland registered as disabled with the Department of Manpower Services. This figure included 53 persons under 18 years of age. A breakdown of these figures by nature of disability is shown below. As registration normally expires at pensionable age separate records of registered disabled persons who have attained pensionable age and maintained registration are not available.Since registration is voluntary, the total number of disabled persons in Northern Ireland undoubtedly exceeds this number. At 31st December 1976, the social services departments of the four Northern Ireland health and social services boards were in contact with 14,010 physically handicapped people, made up of 3,659 blind and partially sighted, 1,573 deaf and hard of hearing and 8,778 other physically handicapped people.To improve the information available, the Department of Health and Social Services has commissioned "Outset", a charitable body with experience of surveys of handicapped people in Great Britain, to conduct a comprehensive survey of every household in Northern Ireland. This project has already begun and when completed should give greater and more reliable information on the num-

Nature of disabilityTotalUnder 18 years of age
Amputation518
Arthritis and Rheumatism562
Diseases of the Digestive System463
Diseases of the Genito-Urinary System1251
Diseases of the Heart and Circulatory System1,3642
Diseases of the Respiratory System (other than Tuberculosis)7391
Diseases of the Skin and Cellular Tissue197
Ear Defects (Deaf and Hard of Hearing)65911
Blind and Partially Sighted Persons8813
Injuries, Diseases and Deformities of the Spine and Limbs3,95714
Organic Nervous Diseases84413
Tuberculosis3461
Other General Diseases and Injuries8357
TOTAL11,49053

bers of handicapped people in the Province.