According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 54.4 million people in the United States have some type of disability, representing 18.7% of the total population. Only 35% of Americans with disabilities have full- or part-time jobs, compared to 78% of those without disabilities. Further, 34% of people with disabilities live in households with annual incomes of $15,000 or less, almost three-times higher compared to non-disabled peers (34% versus 12%, respectively). In addition to limited household income, 59% of people with disabilities reported having insufficient resources to live at the poverty level for three months without another means of support, while 37% of people without disabilities report being asset poor (National Organization on Disability, 2010). Disability policy experts and people with disabilities agree that even as the ADA has leveled the playing field in areas such as voting, education and activities of daily living, the rate of employment and economic participation of people with disabilities has not budged in over four decades.

WID stands for the belief that there is no social inclusion without economic inclusion. Without addressing the dramatic unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities, full integration into society, the cornerstone of the Independent Living Movement, is not possible. Ed Roberts, WID co-founder said, “We can only really be free and take our place in this society if we have economic freedom, which means careers (Highlights of Speeches by Ed Roberts)." WID’s Center for Economic Growth examines what has worked, what has failed and what needs to be done to change the economic standing and increase the number of persons with disabilities who look for, find, and retain employment and advance in their careers.

On October 28, 2011, the CEG convened an initial discussion involving key disability policy and program leaders. The purpose of this report is to outline (for further study, research and debate by the CEG) the key points made during the October 28th discussions (read highlights from WID's Policy Summit here).

WID develops community based public policy recommendations and advocates for the implementation of policies, programs and services to support persons with disabilities to gain access to full employment (visit our Employment and Disability Initiative page). WID also offers real time, online information services for managing health coverage, benefits and finances for persons with disabilities seeking employment, changing jobs or advancing in their careers (visit our Disability Benefits Information Services website) and provides culturally appropriate outreach, information, resources and challenging high-quality internships for college students and young adults with disabilities (visit our Project Vision website).

WID also develops recommendations for federal asset-building legislation conducive to the participation of people with disabilities (visit our Access to Assets Program page); provides training and technical assistance to asset-building organizations on how to include consumers with disabilities in their programs, to disability organizations about available programs and relevant federal policy, and information to individuals with disabilities on how to participate in wealth building programs, including home ownership; and publishes the EQUITY newsletter, the only asset building publication specifically targeting persons with disabilities (read EQUITY here).