In this brief, we used December 2022 data from a nationally representative survey of adults ages 18 to 64 to examine rates at which adults with and without disabilities reported they were treated or judged unfairly in the past year in three settings: at doctors’ offices, clinics, or hospitals; at work; and when applying for public benefits. We also examined the impact of such treatment on their well-being.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Despite important federal antidiscrimination protections, people with disabilities experience unfair treatment in health care settings, workplaces, and when applying for public benefits. Understanding and addressing these experiences is necessary to ensure that people with disabilities have equitable access to health care, employment opportunities, and economic support essential for meeting basic needs.
WHAT WE FOUND
- In December 2022, 4 in 10 adults with disabilities (40 percent) reported experiencing unfair treatment in health care settings, at work, or when applying for public benefits because of their disabilities or other personal characteristics in the previous year. Adults with disabilities were more than twice as likely as adults without disabilities to report unfair treatment in one or more of these settings (40 percent versus 18 percent).
- Disabled adults were more likely than adults without disabilities to report unfair treatment in each of the three settings: 32 percent versus 10 percent in health care settings, 18 percent versus 11 percent at work, and 14 percent versus 3 percent when applying for public benefits.
- Many disabled adults reported experiencing unfair treatment because of their disabilities or health conditions in the prior year: 14 percent in health care settings, 9 percent at work, and 6 percent when applying for benefits.
- Among disabled adults, Black and Hispanic/Latinx adults were more likely than white adults to report unfair treatment or judgment in each of the three settings because of their race, ethnicity, country of origin, or primary language.
- Disabled adults frequently reported adverse consequences after experiencing unfair treatment, in many cases at rates higher than those of adults without disabilities.
- About 71 percent of disabled adults who experienced unfair treatment in health care settings reported a disruption to care after such treatment, including delaying (54 percent) or not getting (50 percent) needed care.
- Almost half (46 percent) of disabled adults who experienced unfair treatment in workplaces reported looking for a new job because of the way they were treated.
- About 71 percent of disabled adults who experienced unfair treatment in social service settings had difficulty receiving public benefits, including delaying (45 percent) or not getting (57 percent) benefits.
HOW WE DID IT
Our analysis draws on data from the Urban Institute’s Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, a nationally representative internet-based survey of adults ages 18 to 64 designed to monitor changes in individual and family well-being as policymakers consider changes to federal safety net programs. The December 2022 round of the survey had a sample size of 7,881 adults, including 2,194 adults with disabilities.
