Research

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are approximately 61 million adult Americans with some form of disability. This includes 26 percent of the total US population. In other words, almost 1 in 4 U.S. residents has some form of a disability.  13.7 percent with a disability have a mobility disability, 10.8 percent with a disability have a cognitive disability, 5.9 percent with a disability are deaf or have serious difficulty hearing, 4.6 percent with a disability have a vision disability.  2.8 million children have a disability.

Based on the 2018 study performed by the National Golf Foundation, there are over 14 million individuals with disabilities who identified themselves as interested in golf programs for the disabled. Of those only 600,000 reported to be currently engaged in golf activities. A larger group, over 6 million, reported they had played golf in the past but due to their disability no longer attempt to participate. 

The National Alliance for Accessible Golf has recently initiated and leading an industry tasforce to assess existing research and participation in the marketplace that addresses how golf impacts the disabled community in the United States.  

Additional Research

Sport England - Mapping Disability and Engaging with Disabled Individuals