8.1.2. Data Sources

The EU Labour Force Survey (LFS), based on a special ad hoc module, was carried out in 2002 on people with disabilities and long-term health problems. This survey covers all EU Member States, except Latvia, Poland and Bulgaria, plus Norway. The module consisted of 11 variables dealing with the existence, type, cause and duration of longstanding health problem or disability, work limitations (regarding the kind of work or the amount of work, and mobility problems), and assistance needed or provided to work. The results refer to persons aged 16-64 years, living in private households. Disabled persons are those who stated that they had a longstanding health problem or disability (LSHPD) for 6 months or more or expected to last 6 months or more. The indicator used is the percentage prevalence of people with disabilities in various socioeconomic groups as well as the percentage distribution of certain characteristics of disability or of certain socioeconomic characteristics among those reporting disability.

The EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) carried out the first data collection in 2004. This survey covers only 13 Member States – the EU15 countries apart from Germany, the Netherlands and the UK plus Estonia, together with Norway. This includes the Minimum European Health Module (MEHM), made of 3 general disability/health items and questions. One of these questions relates to restrictions regarding activities in general. EU-SILC allows the analysis of earnings and income levels reported.

The results of the two surveys were analysed in a comprehensive report (APPLICA et al, 2007). Where they cover the same issues, the results of the analysis of the two sets of data (EU-SILC and LFS data) are broadly consistent with each other.

EUROSTAT’s activities in the European Statistical System (ESS)1 will continue on further developing – through Partnership Health and in cooperation with international organisations – Community statistics on disability and social integration in order to provide the relevant and comparable statistical data needed to monitor the situation of people with disabilities. In general, comparable data on disability and on integration of people with disabilities into society can be collected by means of surveys that make use of common instruments. Health Interview Surveys (HIS) and Disability Interview Surveys (DIS) are widely accepted instruments that could provide comparable data for topics related to health, disability and social integration.