9,000 persons with disabilities

Government expenditure on social benefits for disability and health-related problems increased by 12 per cent over the past three years, reaching Lm20 million last year.

Figures released by the National Statistics Office on the occasion of the International Day of Disabled Persons, which will be marked tomorrow, show that the number of persons with disabilities registering on part one of the Unemployment Register have increased slightly between 2003 and 2005, by 23 to 328.

A total of 9,063 persons with disabilities were registered in 2005, the NSO said. More than half of them - 55 per cent - were men or boys. Nearly half were over 60 while 11 per cent were under 20.

The NSO said the majority of disabilities were physical. Intellectual disabilities and impaired sight were less common but still significant, it said.

Data forwarded by schools shows that there were 2,939 students with special needs during the 2004-2005 academic year. It said 10 per cent of them were attending government schools for people with special needs.

The NSO said 41 per cent of students with special needs who were in mainstream education were enrolled at Church and independent schools.