The relationship is straightforward: there is higher risk of disability at older ages. Informal estimates suggest that some two-thirds of people with disabilities are over retirement age and that one-third of older people have some kind of disability. The prevalence and severity of disability increases with older old age (currently 80 years plus). Many older people are affected by a range of impairments including some loss of visual acuity, some loss of hearing, short term memory loss and difficulty gripping, climbing (steps) and balancing.