KEY POINTS:
Accidents and injuries are the second largest cause of disabilities in adult New Zealanders, Statistics New Zealand said today.
A 2006 disability survey found over 30 per cent of disabilities of people aged 15-64 were caused by accident or injury. The largest cause remains disease or illness.
The majority of accidents and injuries occur in the workplace.
Physical disability was the main type of disability affecting 67 per cent of adults. Hearing and seeing disabilities affect 42 per cent and other disabilities, including learning and remembering, 39 per cent.
The most common disability among children was special education needs, 49 per cent, just ahead of chronic conditions or health problems, 39 per cent.
More than half disabled children were born with their condition.
The percentage of adults with disabilities increases with age with 45 per cent of people aged 65 and over having a disability.
- NZPA
