More than 40 million people in the United States have a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Some 62% of adults with a disability say they own a desktop or laptop computer, compared with 81% of those without a disability, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021. When it comes to smartphone ownership, there is a gap of 16 percentage points between those with a disability and those without one.
Despite these gaps, similar shares of Americans – regardless of disability status – say they have broadband at home or a tablet computer. Whether or not someone goes online also varies by disability status. Americans with disabilities are three times as likely as those without a disability to say they never go online.
Overall, roughly one-in-five U.S. adults report that they have a disability, according to this survey.
