A total of 1,252 people with disabilities were included in the NSRE, representing 7.7% of the total NSRE sample. The most frequently reported disability overall was that of physical disability. This category included people who reported mobility problems. The second largest category of identified disabilities were "illnesses." Included in this illness category were such ailments as heart conditions, diabetes and cancer.

Following these two categories of disability, the "other" category represented the third largest category of those with disabilities. Among the disabling conditions specified in the category of "other" were arthritis (11.6% of category), asthma (11%), back problems (8.8%), epilepsy (6.8%), and multiple sclerosis (3.6%). Together, the three categories of physical disability, illness, and "other" accounted for 80% of all disabling conditions reported. As a group, people with disabilities tended to be older than people without disabilities in the survey. In addition, people with disabilities, although reporting higher education, were less likely to be employed than people without disabilities at all age levels. Not surprisingly, people with disabilities as a group reported lower annual income than people without disabilities.