Number of persons using assistive technology devices
These resources from past NHIS years are available for use by researchers, analysts, and others. For more recent study years, visit the NHIS website: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/
Table 1a. Number of persons using assistive technology devices by age of person and anatomical device: United States, 1994
| All ages |
44 years and under | 45-64 years | 65 years and over | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomical devices | Number in thousands | |||
| Any anatomical device** | 4,565 | 2,491 | 1,325 | 748 |
| Back brace | 1,688 | 795 | 614 | 279 |
| Neck brace | 168 | 76 | 78 | *13 |
| Hand brace | 332 | 171 | 119 | 42 |
| Arm brace | 320 | 209 | 86 | *25 |
| Leg brace | 596 | 266 | 138 | 192 |
| Foot brace | 282 | 191 | 59 | 31 |
| Knee brace | 989 | 694 | 199 | 96 |
| Other brace | 399 | 239 | 104 | 56 |
| Any artificial limb | 199 | 69 | 59 | 70 |
| Artificial leg or foot | 173 | 58 | 50 | 65 |
| Artificial arm or hand | *21 | *9 | *6 | *6 |
Table 1b. Number of persons using assistive technology devices by age of person and mobility device: United States, 1994
| All ages |
44 years and under | 45-64 years | 65 years and over | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility devices | Number in thousands | |||
| Any mobility device** | 7,394 | 1,151 | 1,699 | 4,544 |
| Crutch | 575 | 227 | 188 | 160 |
| Cane | 4,762 | 434 | 1,116 | 3,212 |
| Walker | 1,799 | 109 | 295 | 1,395 |
| Medical shoes | 677 | 248 | 226 | 203 |
| Wheelchair | 1,564 | 335 | 365 | 863 |
| Scooter | 140 | 12 | 53 | 75 |
Table 1c. Number of persons using assistive technology devices by age of person and hearing device: United States, 1994
| All ages |
44 years and under | 45-64 years | 65 years and over | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing devices | Number in thousands | |||
| Any hearing device** | 4,484 | 439 | 969 | 3,076 |
| Hearing aid | 4,156 | 370 | 849 | 2,938 |
| Amplified telephone | 675 | 73 | 175 | 427 |
| TDD/TTY | 104 | 58 | *25 | *21 |
| Closed caption television | 141 | 66 | *32 | 43 |
| Listening device | 106 | *26 | *22 | 58 |
| Signaling device | 95 | *37 | *23 | 35 |
| Interpreter | 57 | *27 | *21 | *9 |
| Other hearing technology | 93 | *28 | *24 | 41 |
Table 1d. Number of persons using assistive technology devices by age of person and type of device: United States, 1994
| All ages |
44 years and under | 45-64 years | 65 years and over | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vision devices | Number in thousands | |||
| Any vision device** | 527 | 123 | 135 | 268 |
| Telescopic lenses | 158 | 40 | 49 | 70 |
| Braille | 59 | *28 | *23 | *8 |
| Readers | 68 | *15 | *14 | 39 |
| White cane | 130 | *35 | 48 | 47 |
| Computer equipment | *34 | *19 | *8 | *7 |
| Other vision technology | 277 | 51 | 76 | 151 |
* Figure does not meet standard of reliability or precision.
** Numbers do not add to these totals because categories are not mutually exclusive; a person could be counted more than once for any device type.