Data on population indicate that:

In 1999, (Enquête HID, INSEE, 1998-2000 / National disability survey), 39% of the general population (22.47 million people) of all ages, in households, declared having a difficulty in their daily life due to an impairment whether physical (53.8% including motor, sensory and visceral), learning difficulties or a mental health condition (7.7%), both physical and learning disability (10.2%) or indefinite (28.2%); 46.2% male and 53.8% female.

The national organisation representing disabled people at the European level (European Disability Forum) is:

CFHE: Conseil français des personnes handicapées pour les questions européennes (French Council of disabled persons for European matters).

Other significant national organisations of disabled people include:

Useful sources of more detailed information about the situation of disabled people, and the policies and support available, include:

Handicap en chiffres, C.Brouard et al., Paris, CTNERHI, Fév. 2004.

Code du handicap 2009 (Logement, emploi, santé, éducation, compensation, accessibilité, ressources), eds. Schweitzer L. & de Broca A., Paris, Dalloz, 2008.

Guide Néret. Droits des personnes handicapées, CTNERHI, Groupe Liaison SA, 2007.

ROUSSEL  P., Les restrictions de participation à la vie sociale des adultes de 20 à 59 ans : une exploitation de l'enquête HID  (Social life participation restrictions of adults aged 20 to 59: data analysis of INSEE Disability - Impairment - Dependency survey 1999), Paris, CTNERHI, 2004