Policy

According to the latest National Trends In Disability Employment (nTIDE) report:

• The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities grew from 39.0% in December 2022 to 40.8% in December 2023. This continues an upward trend we have observed throughout the past year. Workers without disabilities increased their labor force participation rate from 76.9% in December 2022 to 77.3% in December 2023.
• The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities rose from 37.0% in December 2022 to 37.9% in December 2023. For people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio increased slightly from 74.4% to 74.6%.

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RespectAbility and the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD) have commented on proposed changes to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. These changes could under-count people with disabilities, affecting funding for Medicare, Medicaid, and vocational rehabilitation. CCD urges a pause to maintain data accuracy.

An accurate census process

It is important to ensure that research and data collection accurately reflect the number of Americans with disabilities. Misleading information could result in policymakers underestimating the true number of people affected, which could lead to insufficient funding for critical programs such as Medicaid and Social Security Disability Insurance. [continue reading…]

In the Presidential election of 2020, a record number of people with disabilities voted at the polls. Unfortunately, a record of another kind was set in 2021, when 33 laws were passed that made it more difficult for Americans to vote. This resulted in a significant decrease in voting participation by people with disabilities in 2022. According to findings by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), people with disabilities were twice as likely as non-disabled voters to experience challenges while voting in 2020; that number grew to three times as likely in 2022. [continue reading…]

Federal Policy Priorities

RespectAbility’s 2024 federal policy priorities include:

• Eliminating barriers to work.
• Promoting competitive, integrated employment.
• Supporting effective school-to-work transitions.
• Advancing accessibility best practices across sectors.
• Empowering disabled people to advocate for themselves.

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RespectAbility is gearing up for a critical year in state legislative policy. With several key states carrying stalled bills over from 2023 into 2024, the first few months will bring significant opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

States poised to see some action include California, New York, and Pennsylvania. Though these three populous states encompass unique demographic and economic profiles, each state legislature has the potential to enact significant changes. RespectAbility is ready to assist disability organizations in these and other states to advance legislation that promotes greater opportunities for disabled people and to fight any initiatives that roll back rights for which we’ve fought hard. [continue reading…]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released its 2022 Report to Congress on Supportive Services for Individuals with Autism. Along with employment and education issues, the report covers supportive services, such as occupational, behavioral, and speech therapies, that are covered by Medicaid, private insurance, or self-pay. The report also addresses disparities in services that exist among various communities. [continue reading…]

Monthly Employment Update for People with Disabilities

According to the latest National Trends In Disability Employment (nTIDE) report:

• The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities grew from 38.8% in November 2022 to 41.5% in November 2023, continuing an upward trend. Workers without disabilities increased their labor force participation rate from 76.9% in November 2022 to 77.8% in November 2023.
• The employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities rose from 36.5% in November 2022 to 38.3% in November 2023. For people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio increased slightly from 74.4% to 75.3%.

Unemployment Rate

According to the US Department of Labor (DOL) disability employment statistics, the unemployment rate of people without a disability dropped to 3.3% from 3.5% in the previous month, within the range of 3-5% deemed healthy by most economists. However, the unemployment rate amongst those with a disability is more than two times higher at 7.8%.

Voting is an essential right of American citizenship that people with disabilities are too often prevented from exercising. Current voting barriers include transportation to polling sites, inaccessible buildings, cumbersome registration processes, lack of election worker training on the accessibility features of voting machines, and lack of voter privacy.

RespectAbility Senior Policy Advisor Matan Koch, who is a wheelchair user, uses mail-in voting since his transportation options are limited and polling places are often inaccessible. Senior Director of Policy Stacy Cervenka, who is blind, uses in-person voting with an accessible voting machine due to privacy concerns with needing someone to read and fill out print mail-in ballots. RespectAbility Faith and Inclusion Fellow Hannah Roussell, who is immune-compromised and has ADHD, votes via absentee ballot and wishes the registration process was streamlined. [continue reading…]

According to the US Census Bureau, there are approximately 56.7 million Americans with disabilities. Despite this large number of consumers and users of technology, many modern digital technologies remain inaccessible.

According to the Coalition of Organizations on Accessible Technology (COAT), under current federal law, only a small percentage of video programming must include audio descriptions for users who are blind or low-vision. Many people with disabilities face barriers in the workplace due to video conferencing services that lack necessary accessibility features such as closed captioning and compatibility with screen reading software. Audio descriptions and closed captioning on television sets are not easy to access and activate. Deaf people who communicate in American Sign Language (ASL) face accessibility barriers to emergency services. [continue reading…]