An aging population and changing attitudes toward disabilities combined to create an increase in reported disabilities among Canadians over the past five years, according to a report released Monday by Statistics Canada.

Based on the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, the report says 4.4 million Canadians, or 14.3 per cent of the population, reported an "activity limitation" in 2006.

In 2001, that percentage was 12.4.

The report said the largest increase of disabilities reported by Canadians aged 15 and over were mild disabilities, at 26.6 per cent. Moderate disabilities were reported by 20.6 per cent of Canadians, while 19.2 per cent reported severe disabilities and 16.4 per cent said they had a very severe disability.

The authors suggest the increase is due in part to an aging of the population, but another factor could be the fact that reporting a disability has become more socially acceptable, that perception of disability has changed and that people are more willing to report them.

John Young, who works with disabled Manitobans at Winnipeg's Independent Living Resource Centre, agrees.

"I think that we're going to get even higher because I believe that now people can feel comfortable.  The shame is gone from disabilities," he said.

"You become more and more a part of the mainstream population, and you can stand up and say: 'You know what?  I do, I have a disability … but I don't have to feel the shame about it anymore.'  You can get out there in the community and participate fully."

Nova Scotia rate the highest

The report finds that the highest disability rates are among people aged 75 and over, at 56.3 per cent. Just over 43 per cent of Canadians aged 65 and over say they have a disability, compared to 11.5 per cent of adults aged 15 to 64 and 3.7 per cent of children aged 0 to 14.

In terms of gender breakdown, women are more likely to report they're disabled at 15.2 per cent versus 13.4 per cent of men.

Provincially, Nova Scotia had the highest disability rate at 20 per cent and Quebec the lowest at 10.4 per cent. The report finds that eastern provinces tend to have higher disability rates than those in the west.

The report also zeroes in on the types of disabilities that saw growth in the five-year study period. Learning disabilities increased considerably between 2001 and 2006 among Canadians aged 15 and over by almost 40 per cent to 631,000 people.

Three million adults over 15 reported pain and mobility-related disabilities. And 1.3 million adults reported having a hearing disability, which accounts for five per cent of the population.