Barriers to employment for people with a disability

The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990 to help remove barriers in the workplace and in daily life for people with disabilities. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the law, let’s examine the barriers to employment for those with disabilities. In July 2019, 47.5 percent of people age 16 and older with a disability who were not employed (either unemployed or not in the labor force) reported at least one barrier to employment. This was down 2 percentage points from May 2012, when these data were last collected.

Among those who were not employed, 71.3 percent of people ages 16 to 64 reported a barrier to employment in July 2019. That compares with 30.4 percent of those age 65 and older. This difference may reflect the fact that older people are less likely to participate in the labor force.

When asked to identify barriers they had encountered, most reported their own disability was a barrier to employment in July 2019 (79.0 percent). Other barriers included lack of education or training (12.2 percent), lack of transportation (10.6 percent), and the need for special features at the job (9.9 percent).

These data are from the Current Population Survey. For more information, see “Persons with a Disability: Barriers to Employment, Types of Assistance, and Other Labor-Related Issues — July 2019.”