Benefactors and Beneficiaries? Disability and Care to Others

Individuals with disabilities often have limitations that require care from others to increase functioning and facilitate activities of daily living. Despite these care-receiving needs, evidence suggests people with disabilities are also care givers. This study uses the 2008–2015 American Time Use Survey to examine the association between the presence of sensory, mental or cognitive, physical, or multiple limitations and the likelihood and intensity of time spent in primary child care, secondary child care, adult care, care of nonhouseholders, and support care (housework). Net of socioeconomic characteristics, the authors do not observe consistent differences in predicted child care time by disability status, although men with disabilities spend less time in care to adults and nonhouseholders. The largest difference in predicted care time by disability status occurs in support care. Overall, the results challenge the traditional focus on people with disabilities as only beneficiaries of care to document their role as benefactors.