Overall, statistics reported by the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) appear to indicate that participation in the labor force among persons with disabilities declines with age (with few exceptions detailed below). We examine the numbers, what they may indicate, and how organizations can help improve workforce participation and remove barriers to independent living for persons with disabilities.
It is estimated that the United States labor force reached 161,354 million as of September 2021. However, the most recent report released by the U.S. Census Bureau suggests just over 9 million active workers with a disability − approximately 5% of the total workforce. We review the numbers as reported by the U.S. Census and BLS by age and conclude with an examination of the data.
Workers between the ages of 16 and 44 represent the largest population of employees with disabilities at 3,406,230. Employees from ages 16 to 44 represent the largest population of workers with cognitive difficulties at approximately 60.77% of the total workforce (with disabilities).
| Ambulatory Difficulty | Hearing Difficulty | Cognitive Difficulty | Vision Difficulty | Independent Living | Self-care Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population - Disability Workforce | 3,129,930 | 2,829,530 | 2,656,190 | 1,953,870 | 1,491,870 | 681,120 |
| Age 16 to 44 | 683,520 | 699,720 | 1,614,300 | 777,320 | 728,420 | 237,130 |
| % of Population (total) | 21.83% | 24.72% | 60.77% | 39.78% | 48.82% | 34.81% |
Workers between the ages of 45 and 59 represent the second largest population of employees with disabilities at 3,146,680. Employees from ages 45 to 59 represent the largest population of workers with ambulatory difficulties at approximately 40.99% of the total workforce (with disabilities).
| Ambulatory Difficulty | Hearing Difficulty | Cognitive Difficulty | Vision Difficulty | Independent Living | Self-care Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population - Disability Workforce | 3,129,930 | 2,829,530 | 2,656,190 | 1,953,870 | 1,491,870 | 681,120 |
| Age 45 to 59 | 1,283,010 | 991,000 | 720,960 | 737,970 | 440,540 | 253,470 |
| % of Population (total) | 40.99% | 35.02% | 27.14% | 37.77% | 29.54% | 37.21% |
Workers aged 60 and older represent the lowest population of employees with disabilities at 2,533,070. Employees aged 60 and older represent the largest population of workers with hearing difficulties at approximately 40.24% of the total workforce (with disabilities).
| Ambulatory Difficulty | Hearing Difficulty | Cognitive Difficulty | Vision Difficulty | Independent Living | Self-care Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Population - Disability Workforce | 3,129,930 | 2,829,530 | 2,656,190 | 1,953,870 | 1,491,870 | 681,120 |
| Aged 60+ | 1,163,400 | 1,138,810 | 320,935 | 438,580 | 322,060 | 190,530 |
| % of Population (total) | 37.17% | 40.24% | 12.08% | 22.44% | 21.59% | 27.97% |
The data suggest that participation in the workforce by persons with disabilities decreases consistently with age, with two exceptions:
In all categories, with the exceptions of the outliers listed above, workforce participation decreases as workers age, with the most drastic drop in participation represented in cognitive difficulties (from 1,614,300 to 320,935).
| Disability Type | Age 16 to 44 | Age 45 to 59 | Age 60+ | Participation Result with Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulatory | 683,520 | 1,283,010 | 1,163,400 | Level |
| Hearing | 699,720 | 991,000 | 1,138,810 | Increase |
| Cognitive | 1,614,300 | 720,960 | 320,935 | Sharp Decrease |
| Vision | 777,320 | 737,970 | 438,580 | Decrease |
| Independent Living | 728,420 | 440,540 | 322,060 | Decrease |
| Self-care | 237,130 | 253,470 | 190,530 | Decrease |
While it is difficult to speculate why workforce participation decreases for some but not others, it may be helpful to review additional sources for clues.
Although the data included in the Census report suggests that just 14.75% of eligible persons with disabilities are actively participating in the workforce (the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that number to be 17.9 percent in 2020 - down from 19.3 percent in 2019), workforce participation rate overall continues to hover at around 61%.
This data comes from the Department of Labor, but there seems to be some confusion about the actual number of persons with disabilities employed.
In 2018, the Brookings Institute published a study on the number of persons aged 25 - 54 that reported having a disability and were employed. According to Brookings, 9 percent of adults aged 25 to 54, or 11 million Americans, reported having a disability. According to the study by Brookings, which uses data from the American Community Survey (ACS) to examine disability rates in the country's largest metro areas, nearly 40 percent of persons with disabilities have found employment.
This may suggest that persons with disabilities in larger metropolitan areas have more readily available access to better-funded organizations that can adapt to program, policy, and facility modification regarding reasonable accommodations (again, Brookings uses the ACS, which measures data from large metros vs. a national average and may explain the 23% discrepancy).
It may also further illuminate the challenges persons with disabilities face in rural areas, including access to transportation, affordable and accessible housing, and education.
How data is collected may also have an impact on how workforce decline is represented for some but not others. For example, persons with ambulatory disabilities appear to reach peak workforce participation between the ages 45 - 59 and do not indicate a significant decline in participation with age, while workforce participation for persons with vision-related disabilities drops approximately 40% from the age 59 to 60 and above. At a minimum, the data collected by Brookings may suggest that 1) persons with disabilities are more populous in metro areas, and 2) persons living in metropolitan areas have an easier time navigating barriers to independent living than their rural counterparts − and perhaps that some barriers are more challenging than others to overcome.
Read more: Remote Work and Accessibility: What Employers Need to Know.
Regardless of how the numbers are sorted, one thing remains strikingly clear: persons with disabilities are overwhelmingly un-employed and/or under-employed in comparison to those who do not report having a disability.
While we continue to see employers struggle in recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees across all industries, we still see workforce participation among persons with disabilities reported at remarkably low levels.
Employers interested in tapping into this diverse, trained, and talented labor pool should take several steps to improve their accessibility and inclusion initiatives.
There's an old saying in government and non-profit, which is that people live where they receive services. The same is true for employment. Organizations that intend to build more inclusive and accessible hiring initiatives should start with their culture. That means ensuring the organization's relationship with all stakeholders affirms a commitment to inclusion and accessibility. This starts with ensuring communication with customers is accessible, having usable and accessible technology, and providing a welcoming environment for all. After all, would you want to work for someone you didn't feel respected your views and opinions?
Having an inclusive culture that values accessibility is a great first step, but organizations that do not take steps to ensure the recruitment process is accessible will continue to fall short. In her articles "How to Make Your Hiring Process More Accessible" and "Tips for Onboarding and Training Employees with Disabilities", author Amanda Dodge advocates for employers to incorporate a few simple tips:
Covered entities would benefit from working closely with community leaders to identify potential opportunities to recruit new employees with disabilities and adopt strong accommodation processes that welcome all candidates.
Finally, employers looking to expand operations should also ensure that considerations are made for employees who require accessible housing and access to transportation. Building a new packing facility that will bring 500 jobs to the community is great, but if it's built 20 miles outside of the city limit − where housing is scarce and public transportation is not available − it likely will have a low net impact in regards to accessibility and inclusion initiatives within the organization.