Our study uses the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and matched data from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS-ASEC) to gain a better understanding of the association between disability and how individuals use their time. More specifically, we examine the extent to which adults with disabilities— defined using both the new six-question sequence on disability and the traditional work-limitation question—require more time than those without disabilities to take care of their health needs and complete everyday activities such as personal care, housework, and shopping—and hence have less time for paid work. We also look at other time-use categories, including sleeping, eating, personal care, and leisure, for people with and without disabilities. It is unclear, a priori, whether people with disabilities spend more or less time than those without disabilities in activities other than those related to health needs and paid work. A person with disabilities who works fewer hours than a person with similar characteristics but without disabilities will have more time available for these other activities—unless the time spent taking care of health needs is greater than the relative reduction in work hours. Thus, it seems perfectly plausible that we would find people with disabilities spending more time in leisure activities or in housework, for example, than their counterparts without disability who spend more time in paid work.
We find that working-age men and women who report a work limitation, ACS disability, or both, work fewer hours per day than men and women without disabilities, and that more time spent in leisure activities, sleeping, and health-related activities offsets less time in paid work activities. The reduction in paid work time is largest for individuals who report both types of disability, and is next-largest for those who report only a work limitation. Individuals who report ACS disability but no work limitation, not surprisingly perhaps, appear to have the smallest substitution of leisure activities for paid work activities. The increase in time spent on health-related activities by those with disabilities is substantial, especially for those who report both a work limitation and ACS disability.
