Abstract
Based on the preliminary sample results of the 2022 Demographic Census produced by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), This article analyzes the distribution of persons with disabilities and persons diagnosed with autism in Brazil. The investigation articulates two dimensions: (i) distribution by race/color, comparing the percentage composition of the general population with that of persons with disabilities and persons diagnosed with autism; and (ii) the characterization of functional difficulties that underpin the census identification of disability, distinguishing types and degrees of difficulty (“has a lot of difficulty” and “cannot do at all”). This study, methodologically, is characterized as descriptive, cross-sectional, and exploratory, adopting a mixed-methods approach (quantitative and qualitative), structured through the extraction of indicators from SIDRA/IBGE and documentary analysis of legal frameworks and public policies related to disability, health, and racial equity. The findings indicate that racial distribution among persons with disabilities and the general population shows modest differences. In contrast, regarding autism, there is a slight increase in the relative participation of white individuals and a small decrease among Black and other people of color compared to the overall population composition. Regarding the functional level, permanent difficulties in seeing and walking/climbing steps predominate, while the category “cannot do at all” is proportionally more concentrated in mobility and mental/communication functions.