Exploring the relationship between poverty and disability in the United States

• In Event: 50221 - Section on Disability in Society Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Disability, Policy, and Social Institutions

Abstract

Poverty and disability are two intertwined social issues that significantly impact individuals’ life trajectories. Despite advancements in disability policy, a significant proportion of people with disabilities continue to live in poverty. In the United States, it was estimated that in 2023, 22.3% of people with a disability were in poverty, compared to 8.9% of the population without a disability. Despite this established association between poverty and disability, a detailed analysis of the prevalence of poverty among people with disabilities in the United States has not been done in the last decade. To fill this gap, we use the most up-to-date data available to give a comprehensive picture of poverty prevalence among people with disabilities. We use the American Community Survey (ACS) data and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to characterize poverty levels in recent years among people with disabilities relative to those without disabilities. The ACS 2018-2022 data serve as a starting point to document differences in short-term poverty trends between people with and without disabilities. The SIPP 2020-2023 panel data complements the analysis by providing a detailed picture of long-term poverty among both groups.

Authors

• Montserrat Avila Acosta, Burton Blatt Institute Syracuse University

• Fitore Hyseni, Syracuse University