Measuring disability in survey research

The aim of this article is to compare current operationalisations of disability in survey research, regarding prevalence estimates and also to analyse to what extent different measurements classify the same group of people as disabled. Eleven current measurements from national and international studies are compared, including subjective, administrative and functional definitions. Analyses were conducted using data from a survey of disabled people’s living conditions in Norway (LCD), gathered in 2007. Results indicate that depending on definition, the estimated disability rate in Norway varies from about 10 to more than 25% within the same sample. The group of people classified as disabled according to different definitions overlaps only to some extent. The analysis also suggests more overlap among definitions if the comparison of definitions is restricted to people with severe impairments. The findings suggest a need for more standardised measurement of disability in survey research, and more conscious attention to how choice of operational definition may affect research results.