ABSTRACT
People with disabilities are often unable to participate fully in society. This often leads to exclusion by structures within society that favour the “able bodied,” thus directly excluding people living with disability and putting them at greater risk of unemployment and poverty, disease, and lack of access to resources and services. People with disability, therefore, are vulnerable constituents of any society. In South Africa, as in other African countries, there is need to study the demographic and socioeconomic profi le of this vulnerable population. The research questions that this chapter addresses are:
• How has the socio-demographic profi le of disabled persons changed over time in South Africa?
