The Elephant in the Room: Poverty, Disability, and Employment

Despite more than 40 years of legislation to improve the outcomes of children and youth with disabilities and those growing up in poverty, vast numbers of adults with severe disabilities are unemployed or underemployed and living in poverty. This article suggests that one of the factors maintaining the problem is our failure to acknowledge the prevalence and complexity of poverty and its relation to disability and employment. We describe disability as both a cause and an effect of poverty, affecting employment and quality of life of people with severe disabilities— particularly those who are racially and ethnically diverse. We propose strategies to address the challenges caused by the intersection of poverty, disability, and employment and efforts to improve the adult lives of people with severe disabilities.