August 15 Webinar:
Please join Able Americans for the launch of a new policy reform agenda for Americans with disabilities and an online resource guide. Director Rachel Barkley will give an overview of the many barriers facing people with disabilities, the conservative principles that should be the foundation of reform, and a snapshot of 45 solutions to consider in this comprehensive paper. Additionally, you will get a first look at an online tool for researchers and people with disabilities to navigate the many federal programs meant to help people with disabilities.
When: Thursday, August 15, 1:00PM ET
Where: Zoom webinar
First Look at ProjectAccess Website and “Able to Succeed: A Reform Agenda for Americans with Disabilities”
Three areas of policy and programs addressed in the paper to improve outcomes:
- Inequality under the law and in society
- Access to healthcare
- Government barriers to work and independence.
Key Findings
- The number of individuals with disabilities and their caretakers combined is 100 million Americans. The vast web of government policies and programs that impact the lives of their lives should be examined to ensure that they are living up to the principles underpinning the American dream and standards of human dignity and equality of opportunity.
- Government programs and policies that serve people with disabilities are falling short. Key indicators do not paint a good picture of outcomes when we examine independence, health outcomes, workforce participation, and barriers to marriage for people with disabilities. We also need better program outcome studies to determine the impact of government programs and then adequately reform them.
- Adults with disabilities are 4 times more likely to report their health to be fair or poor than people with no disabilities. People with disabilities face life-altering shortages and inability to access proper care.
- Only 40.6% of persons with disabilities are participating in the workforce as of April 2024. That is nearly half of the rate of those without disabilities. Studies have shown that not working correlates with long-term negative mental and social health impacts, such as levels of stress, anxiety, depression, suicide risk, life expectancy, family relationships, community engagement and physical health.
- 25% of individuals with disabilities in America live in poverty – more than twice the rate of individuals without disabilities.
- For people with physical disabilities, less than 5% of housing nationwide is accessible for people with moderate mobility difficulties and less than 1% is accessible for wheelchair users.
- Avoidable emergency room visits that should have been candidates for mental health or substance abuse care are estimated to cost $8.3 billion per year.