IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i4p603-d1632912.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Definition Dilemma: How Definitions of Disability Shape Statistics on Social Participation

Author

Listed:
  • Judith Baart

    (Care Ethics, Disability Studies in Nederland, University of Humanistic Studies, 3512 HD Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Willem Elbers

    (Gender & Diversity Studies, Radboud University, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Alice Schippers

    (Care Ethics, Disability Studies in Nederland, University of Humanistic Studies, 3512 HD Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Sarah Polack

    (International Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK)

Abstract

To monitor progress in including persons with disabilities, including in interventions which can improve their health and quality of life, it is crucial to collect data on their participation. However, there are many different ways of defining disability and thus categorising individuals as disabled/not disabled, which may impact measures of participation. This study aims to assess the relationship between three different measures of disability and the level of participation of persons with disabilities. We analysed data from a population-based survey of disability amongst Syrian refugees in Istanbul, which collected data on disability using the Washington Group enhanced set of disability questions as well a two-question set asking about perceived activity limitations due to disability. The prevalence of disability ranged from 13.5 to 22.4% depending on the measure used. The group of people that are categorised as disabled also differs, indicating who is being seen as disabled changes when a different measure is used. Levels of participation, with regards to paid work, education and being partnered, also varied by measure, for example, being in paid work ranged from 26% to 38%. These findings underscore the importance of carefully selecting and clearly defining disability measures in studies, (health) interventions and policy contexts.

Suggested Citation

  • Judith Baart & Willem Elbers & Alice Schippers & Sarah Polack, 2025. "The Definition Dilemma: How Definitions of Disability Shape Statistics on Social Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(4), pages 1-11, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:603-:d:1632912
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/603/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/4/603/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dorothy Boggs & Hannah Kuper & Islay Mactaggart & Tess Bright & GVS Murthy & Abba Hydara & Ian McCormick & Natalia Tamblay & Matias L. Alvarez & Oluwarantimi Atijosan-Ayodele & Hisem Yonso & Allen Fos, 2022. "Exploring the Use of Washington Group Questions to Identify People with Clinical Impairments Who Need Services including Assistive Products: Results from Five Population-Based Surveys," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Nora Groce & Maria Kett & Raymond Lang & Jean-Francois Trani, 2011. "Disability and Poverty: the need for a more nuanced understanding of implications for development policy and practice," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(8), pages 1493-1513.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yue-Hui Yu & Man-Man Peng, 2022. "Development and Poverty Dynamics in Severe Mental Illness: A Modified Capability Approach in the Chinese Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, February.
    2. Oscar Flores-Flores & Ruth Bell & Rodney Reynolds & Antonio Bernabé-Ortiz, 2018. "Older adults with disability in extreme poverty in Peru: How is their access to health care?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Raymond Lang & Marguerite Schneider & Maria Kett & Ellie Cole & Nora Groce, 2019. "Policy development: An analysis of disability inclusion in a selection of African Union policies," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 155-175, March.
    4. Victoria Austin & Catherine Holloway, 2022. "Assistive Technology (AT), for What?," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Mythily Subramaniam & Yen Sin Koh & P. V. AshaRani & Fiona Devi & Saleha Shafie & Peizhi Wang & Edimansyah Abdin & Janhavi Ajit Vaingankar & Chee Fang Sum & Eng Sing Lee & Siow Ann Chong, 2021. "The Prevalence and Correlates of Disability in Singapore: Results from a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Ashrita Saran & Howard White & Hannah Kuper, 2020. "Evidence and gap map of studies assessing the effectiveness of interventions for people with disabilities in low‐and middle‐income countries," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(1), March.
    7. Ute Rink & Theresa Rollwage, 2022. "Household disability and time preferences: Evidence from incentivized experiments in Vietnam," TVSEP Working Papers wp-027, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, Project TVSEP.
    8. Kim Samuel & Sabina Alkire & Diego Zavaleta & China Mills & John Hammock, 2018. "Social isolation and its relationship to multidimensional poverty," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(1), pages 83-97, January.
    9. Maria Kett & Marcella Deluca, 2016. "Transport and Access to Inclusive Education in Mashonaland West Province, Zimbabwe," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(3), pages 61-71.
    10. Belaynesh Tefera & Marloes L. van Engen & Alice Schippers & Arne H. Eide & Amber Kersten & Jac van der Klink, 2018. "Education, Work, and Motherhood in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Review of Equality Challenges and Opportunities for Women with Disabilities," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(1), pages 82-93.
    11. Jeyapraba Suresh, 2023. "Poverty is Lack of Capabilities: A Literature Review," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(3), pages 462-476, March.
    12. Derek Asuman & Charles Godfred Ackah & Frank Agyire-Tettey, 2021. "Disability and Household Welfare in Ghana: Costs and Correlates," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 633-649, December.
    13. Natasha Layton & Daniel Mont & Louise Puli & Irene Calvo & Kylie Shae & Emma Tebbutt & Keith D. Hill & Libby Callaway & Diana Hiscock & Abner Manlapaz & Inge Groenewegen & Mahpekai Sidiqi, 2021. "Access to Assistive Technology during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic: Voices of Users and Families," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-23, October.
    14. Ben Oldfrey & Giulia Barbareschi & Priya Morjaria & Tamara Giltsoff & Jessica Massie & Mark Miodownik & Catherine Holloway, 2021. "Could Assistive Technology Provision Models Help Pave the Way for More Environmentally Sustainable Models of Product Design, Manufacture and Service in a Post-COVID World?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, September.
    15. Belaynesh Tefera & Marloes L. van Engen & Alice Schippers & Arne H. Eide & Amber Kersten & Jac van der Klink, 2018. "Education, Work, and Motherhood in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Review of Equality Challenges and Opportunities for Women with Disabilities," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(1), pages 82-93.
    16. Maggie Campillay-Campillay & Ana Calle-Carrasco & Pablo Dubo & Jorge Moraga-Rodríguez & Juan Coss-Mandiola & Jairo Vanegas-López & Alejandra Rojas & Raúl Carrasco, 2022. "Accessibility in People with Disabilities in Primary Healthcare Centers: A Dimension of the Quality of Care," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-14, September.
    17. Jean-Francois Trani & Kyle A. Pitzer & Juanita Vasquez Escallon & Parul Bakhshi, 2022. "Access to Services from Persons with Disabilities in Afghanistan: Is Community Based Rehabilitation Making a Difference?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-26, May.
    18. Eric Emerson & Gwynnyth Llewellyn, 2021. "The Circumstances of Children with and without Disabilities or Significant Cognitive Delay Living in Ordinary Households in 30 Middle- and Low-Income Countries," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 1(3), pages 1-13, July.
    19. Trani, Jean-François & Cannings, Tim I., 2013. "Child Poverty in an Emergency and Conflict Context: A Multidimensional Profile and an Identification of the Poorest Children in Western Darfur," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 48-70.
    20. Takasaki, Yoshito, 2020. "Impacts of disability on poverty: Quasi-experimental evidence from landmine amputees in Cambodia," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 85-107.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:4:p:603-:d:1632912. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.