Disability-Supportive Neighborhoods and Educational Outcomes: Do Disability Density and Proximity to SSA Field Offices Matter?

• In Event: Policy and Administrative Choices to Improve Child Health and Well-Being

Abstract

This study examines how disability-supportive neighborhood environments shape the educational outcomes of children with disabilities in Texas. Using restricted-access administrative data on approximately 1.2 million children (about 1 million without disabilities and 0.2 million with disabilities) who entered kindergarten between 1994 and 1999, I track long-term outcomes including high school graduation, college attendance, and degree attainment.

The analysis focuses on two disability-specific neighborhood characteristics: (1) the local density of children with disabilities, reflecting the strength of local disability networks; and (2) geographic accessibility to Social Security Administration (SSA) field offices, representing institutional access to disability benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Results indicate that higher local disability density is positively associated with educational attainment among children with disabilities. Moving to a district with a 10-percentage-point higher disability density corresponds to a 0.5–0.7-percentage-point increase in high school and college completion rates. In contrast, proximity to SSA field offices shows smaller and statistically insignificant effects.

These findings suggest that community-level social networks play a more influential role than institutional proximity in fostering educational opportunities for children with disabilities. Policy efforts that invest in community hubs that build social capital, expand disability resources, and strengthen special education services may reduce administrative barriers and improve long-term outcomes. Because this study lacks individual-level SSA records, it cannot directly assess how office proximity affects benefit participation. Future research should link educational data with administrative records and apply mover-based causal designs to identify the effects of institutional accessibility.

Authors

• Pyung Kim, University of Texas, Dallas
  Presenting Author

• Dohyeong Kim, University of Texas, Dallas
  Non-Presenting Co-Author