Skip to main content U.S. flag
          An official website of the United States government
            Here’s how you know
          Here's how you know **The .gov means it’s official.**
                
                Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure
                you’re on a federal government site.
 **The site is secure.**
                
                The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
                information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.


NCD Logo
    
    NCD.gov
          National Council on Disability
        An independent federal agency committed to disability policy leadership since 1978
 Menu


close About the Council
              Misson
                
                Council Members
                
                Council Staff
                
                Email Directory
                
                Council Meetings
                
                Feedback
          
        
          
            
            
            Newsroom
            
        
          
            
            Policy Advice
              Letters
                
                Reports
                
                Testimony
                
                Toolkits
                
                Progress Reports
                
                Frameworks
                
                Fact Sheets
                
                Resources
                
                FAQ
          
        
          
            
            Policy Areas
              Civil Rights
                
                CRPD
                
                Cultural Diversity
                
                Education
                
                Emergency Management
                
                Employment
                
                Financial Assistance and Incentives
                
                Health Care
                
                Housing
                
                International
                
                Long Term Services and Support
                
                Technology
                
                Transportation
                
                Youth Perspectives Font Size:
 A
      Font Size Normal
 A
      Font Size Large
 twitter logoTwitter
 instagram logoInstagram
 linkedin logoLinkedIn
 facebook logoFacebook
 youtube logoYoutube
 Contact Us
          
          Accountability Search small
      Search


Highlighting Disability / Poverty Connection, NCD Urges Congress to Alter Federal Policies that Disadvantage People with Disabilities Thursday, October 26, 2017
 
 **Press Release** October 26, 2017 **LOUISVILLE, KY –** The National Council on Disability (NCD) – a nonpartisan, independent federal agency comprised of presidential and congressional appointees – today releases an advisory report to Congress and the President on poverty and disability during its business meeting in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. NCD’s report addresses why people with disabilities are often destined to live in poverty and experience high unemployment despite existing federal regulations and public policies that were intended to improve their lives. The report asserts that the basic needs for people with disabilities go beyond what is covered in the official U.S. definition of poverty and that a new definition of poverty could help highlight the financial challenges facing people with disabilities and influence changes in policy. “At a time when many respected scholars and policymakers are announcing plans to combat poverty, NCD wanted to shine a light on the unique ways in which existing policies hold back people with disabilities from economic self-sufficiency so those barriers can be addressed in any plans moving forward,” said Clyde Terry, NCD Chairperson. “NCD focused on poverty in our report because it dramatically compounds the greatest areas of concern for people with disabilities.” The NCD report focuses on seven factors that are crucial for enhancing the economic independence of people with disabilities – education, employment, financial assistance and incentives, health care, long-term services and supports, transportation, and housing – and offers recommendations to policymakers in each area. ***Report Recommendations*:** A small sampling of the report’s recommendations includes: Congress should amend the Small Business Act to expand the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program to include people with disabilities as a presumed socially disadvantaged group.
  Congress should decouple eligibility for health care benefits from eligibility for cash benefits like SSI and SSDI to prevent people with disabilities from being forced to choose between getting a job or having access to health care.
  Medicaid reforms should safeguard access to home and community-based services waivers which are essential to promoting independent living, employment, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. ***Quick Report Takes*:** People with disabilities live in poverty at more than twice the rate of people without disabilities.
  People with disabilities make up approximately 12 percent of the U.S. working-age population; however, they account for more than half of those living in long-term poverty.
  More than 65 percent of the 17.9 million working-age adults with disabilities participate in at least one safety net or income support program.
  Only 32 percent of working-age people with disabilities are employed compared with 73 percent of those without disabilities.
  The median annual income for households receiving federal rental assistance from the three primary HUD programs is $13,500.
  Students with disabilities often graduate from high school at rates nearly 20 percentage points lower than students without disabilities.
  During the crucial time immediately after the onset of disability, when they may still have some attachment to the labor force, the current Social Security system encourages applicants not to work, which often leads to poverty.
  Only 6 percent of federal transit funds are allocated to serve rural communities.
  Currently, an estimated 228,600 people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and other significant disabilities work for subminimum wage.
  45 states offer a Medicaid Buy-in program for people with disabilities who do not qualify for Medicaid through SSI eligibility. From 2010 to 2011, the average earnings among Medicaid Buy-In enrollees were $9,135 per year. ***Report***: The NCD report on poverty and disability is available for download at: https://ncd.gov/progressreport/2017/progress-report-october-2017 **About the National Council on Disability:** First established as an advisory Council within the Department of Education in 1978, NCD became an independent federal agency in 1984. In 1986, NCD recommended enactment of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and drafted the first version of the bill which was introduced in the House and Senate in 1988. Since enactment of the ADA in 1990, NCD has continued to play a leading role in crafting disability policy, and advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policies, programs, and practices. ###


Budget and Performance Congressional Budget Justification
            
            Financial Audits
            
            Buy American Act
            
            Government Performance and Results Act
 Resources Bylaws
            
            Strategic Plan
            
            Authorizing Statute
 Agency Governance News
            
            FOIA
            
            Contact NCD
            
            Subscribe for NCD News
 Policies / Statements No FEAR Act Data
            
            Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
            
            View accessibility statement
            
            View Equity Action Plan


twitter logoTwitter
 instagram logoInstagram
 linkedin logoLinkedIn
 facebook logoFacebook
 youtube logoYoutube
 
 Phone


NCD.gov
        An official website of the
          National Council on Disability