HMD Research Report #1 was published in March 2017 and provides an analysis of the responses from the first 648 qualified respondents to the Survey on Hidden Mobility Disabilities – i.e., respondents who could walk less than 100 meters and stand only 15 minutes or less. The data from the Survey on Hidden Mobility Disabilities are the first available to describe the lived experience of persons with hidden mobility disabilities (HMD). The results document the following:
A “short distance” for most people with HMD is 35 feet (10.7 meters).
A “brief time” to stand unsupported is 1-2 minutes.
HMD Research Report #2 was published in October 2017 and provides an analysis of 890 qualified respondents. The results confirm the findings of HMD Research Report #1 and detail further that:
- Younger people with HMD may actually have more limitations than those 55 and older. HMD is not simply a matter of aging.
- Males may downplay the mobility difficulties they experience, thus exacerbating joint inflammation and other health consequences.
- While arthritis is the most common health condition underlying HMD, for males the underlying condition may be heart disease.
A national Canadian survey was completed in June 2022, and its results are summarized on the HMD Fact Sheet.