Disability facts

• Only 17% of disabled people were born with their disabilities (Source: Institute for Public Policy Research article Work for disabled people)
• One in four people will be affected by mental ill health in the course of their life (Source: Mind)
• Mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, now account for more Incapacity Benefit claims than back pain (Source: Mind, Stress and mental health in the workplace, 2005)
• One in three men and one in four women between the ages of 40 and 70 will develop a critical illness (Source: Health insurance: the online guide to critical illness insurance)
• The cost of staff absence to the UK economy was over £13.2bn in 2007 (Source: CBI/ AXA Absence Survey, 2008)

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