Utilizing data from the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability, this infographic highlights the trends and experiences of persons with learning disabilities. This release is part of a series of infographics that focus on specific disability types.
Description - Learning disabilities, 2022
In 2022, 5.6% of Canadians (more than 1.6 million individuals) aged 15 years and over had a learning disability.1
Proportion of Canadians with a learning disability, by age group
- 15 to 24 years – 9.2%
- 25 to 44 years – 6.0%
- 45 to 64 years – 4.6%
- 65 years and over – 4.1%
Women+ (5.9%) were more likely than men+ (5.2%) to have a learning disability.2
The most commonly used aids and assistive devices among those with learning a disability were…
- Writing and spelling aids (18%)
- Recording or note-taking equipment (13%)
Less than a quarter (24%) of students with learning disabilities were enrolled in school part-time.3 Of these, half (50%) were studying part-time because of their learning disability along with other types of disability they may have.
Top accommodations students with learning disabilities needed and received for their course
- Extended time during tests and exams – 27%
- Computer, laptop or tablet with specialized software or application – 13%
- Quiet room or sensory room – 10%
52% of Canadians aged 25 to 64 years with a learning disability required one or more workplace accommodations.4
- Those aged 25 to 64 with more severe learning disabilities were more likely to require an accommodation (67%) than those with less severe learning disabilities (36%).
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability, 2022.
Notes
1 The Canadian Survey on Disability covers Canadians aged 15 years and over who experience limitations in their daily activities because of a long-term condition or health-related problem.
2 The “women+” category includes women as well as some non-binary persons, while the “men+” category includes men as well as some non-binary persons.
3 Includes students aged 15 years and over who currently attend or recently attended school, college, CEGEP or university.
4 Workplace accommodations include special chairs, back supports, modified ergonomic workstations, human support, technical aids, computers with specialized software or adaptations, communication aids, accessible elevators, adapted washrooms, or specialized transportation.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).