Policy & Practice October 2018

Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty. Disability is a cause of poverty as it leads to reduced earnings and opportunities by limiting access to education, housing, and health care. Disability is also a consequence of poverty because pathways to saving and earning are restricted or limited, along with systematic barriers that prevent full engagement in civic and community life.

then become eligible for some supports and services to enable them to return to work. This process is not only con- fusing and complex but, in many ways, the formal services system reinforces the belief that disability equals an inability to work. In the United States, the federal poverty level is defined as the per- centage of people with earnings in the last 12 months below $12,140 for a single person, and below $25,100 for a family of four. The poverty threshold depends upon the size of the family, the age of the householder, and the number of related children younger than 18. Currently, the U.S. poverty rate in the for people without dis- abilities is 11 percent; for people with disabilities that rate rises to 27 percent and up to 32 percent for individuals with cognitive disabilities, which include intellectual and developmental disabilities. The maximum check an individual on SSI can receive in 2018 is $750 per month. When supports are focused on reducing poverty, they do not account for disability. When supports are focused on disability, they

People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed, underem- ployed, and living in poverty. For example, adult workers with dis- abilities may have to choose between working and gaining access to critical health care or choose between making a co-pay for a medication and paying rent. People with disabilities and living in poverty are placed in the precarious situations of having to make difficult decisions everyday with very few avail- able pathways. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the population that is working or actively looking for work (as of June 2018, it was 33 percent for working-age people with disabilities compared to 78 percent of people without disabilities). 1 The lack of workforce participation for some people with disabilities may be due in part to being helped to apply for or receiving supplemental security income (SSI). This eligibility process requires individuals to document their inability to work to receive the benefit. However, once they are found eligible for SSI, and receive the benefit, they

often do not consider employment and poverty. We need to recognize the complex interplay between disability and poverty in our social services system and invest in changes. Employment and education can be pathways out of poverty. But before we can improve those pathways, we have to challenge the myths that perpetuate poverty and disability in the first place. Regardless of training, professional certifications, we need to acknowledge that all people carry stereotypes and beliefs about people, including people with disabilities and those living in poverty. As support professionals we need to challenge our beliefs and adapt our practice to ensure that we are sup- porting pathways out of poverty. Myth: You can tell who has a dis- ability and who does not. Fact: Disability crosses ethnicity, gender, age, geography, and socio- economic status. Disabilities are not always obvious. Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, mental health, and chronic health are all types of disabilities. We cannot determine a

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October 2018 Policy&Practice