Disability and Poverty is a tough cycle

In PlainSpeak for Lay Audience

Disability and Poverty: A Tough Cycle

Disability and poverty are closely connected. This makes life harder for disabled people. Here’s why.

1. Education: Many disabled people don’t get a good education. This makes it hard for them to learn skills needed for good jobs.

2. Jobs: Disabled people often face problems finding jobs. There aren’t enough job opportunities, and some employers discriminate against them. Without good jobs, it’s hard to earn enough money.

3. Healthcare: Poor people often can’t afford good healthcare. This can lead to untreated health problems that cause or worsen disabilities.

4. Support Services: Disabled people need special support, like assistive devices or home modifications, but these can be expensive. Without money, they can’t get the help they need.

The National Council on Disability says that these problems make more disabled people live in poverty. The World Health Organization also says that we need to solve both poverty and disability issues together.

To break this cycle, we need to:

• Provide better education for disabled people.
• Create more job opportunities and stop workplace discrimination.
• Offer better social support services.
• Make healthcare and housing affordable and accessible for everyone.

When we invest in these areas, we help disabled people live better lives. This also helps reduce poverty and builds a stronger, fairer society for everyone.

2 versions of this post

In PlainSpeak Plain Language for Lay Reader

For Scientific/Academic Audience

Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty

 

"Disability is both a cause and consequence of poverty. 

We're more that 2x likely to live in poverty than non-disabled people"

Disability and poverty are intrinsically linked, creating a vicious cycle that exacerbates the challenges faced by the disabled. This disparity stems from systemic barriers in education, employment, and healthcare. Disabled individuals often encounter limited job opportunities, workplace discrimination, and inadequate support services, significantly hindering their ability to secure stable and well-paying employment. According to the National Council on Disability, these employment challenges contribute heavily to the higher poverty rates among disabled individuals (National Council on Disability, 2017). The lack of accessible education further compounds this issue, as it restricts the skill development necessary for competitive employment.

Moreover, poverty can lead to or worsen disability, creating a continuous loop of disadvantage. Individuals living in poverty often have limited access to healthcare, resulting in untreated medical conditions that can lead to further disability. The financial strain associated with poverty can prevent people from obtaining necessary assistive devices or modifications, further diminishing their quality of life and ability to participate fully in society. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that this cyclical relationship underscores the need for comprehensive policies and programs that address both poverty alleviation and disability inclusion simultaneously (WHO, 2011). Breaking this cycle requires concerted efforts to create inclusive educational and employment opportunities, enhance social support systems, and ensure equitable access to healthcare and other essential services for disabled people. Investing in these areas not only improves the lives of disabled individuals but also fosters a more inclusive and equitable society, reducing overall poverty and promoting economic stability.

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A plain language version

Disability and Poverty: A Tough Cycle

Disability and poverty are closely connected. This makes life harder for disabled people. Here’s why:

1. Education: Many disabled people don’t get a good education. This makes it hard for them to learn skills needed for good jobs.

2. Jobs: Disabled people often face problems finding jobs. There aren’t enough job opportunities, and some employers discriminate against them. Without good jobs, it’s hard to earn enough money.

3. Healthcare: Poor people often can’t afford good healthcare. This can lead to untreated health problems that cause or worsen disabilities.

4. Support Services: Disabled people need special support, like assistive devices or home modifications, but these can be expensive. Without money, they can’t get the help they need.

The National Council on Disability says that these problems make more disabled people live in poverty. The World Health Organization also says that we need to solve both poverty and disability issues together.

To break this cycle, we need to:

• Provide better education for disabled people.
• Create more job opportunities and stop workplace discrimination.
• Offer better social support services.
• Make healthcare and housing affordable and accessible for everyone.

When we invest in these areas, we help disabled people live better lives. This also helps reduce poverty and builds a stronger, fairer society for everyone.

2 versions of this post

In PlainSpeak Plain Language for Lay Reader

For Scientific/Academic Audience

Loss of education seen as a crisis for non-disabled kids but NOT for disabled kids.

So true.

If an NT kid was "not in school for two months, [the school district] would be coming after [the parents]. A non-disabled "child who has missed about 18 school days... [is considered] a crisis that triggers a range of emergency interventions."

But a disabled kid not coming to school seems to be a relief the school district, there is no urgency to bring them back. A disabled kid not being able to attend school is never a crisis.

 
They can be left without services, and at the drop of a hat [for staff shortages and a thousand other excuses by the school] and the child is literally asked not to come to school and stay at home instead. Education it seems, is the responsibility of parents and not the school district when it comes to disabled children.

 

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/15/1247795768/children-disabilities-special-education-teacher-shortage 

https://www.peasepress.com/product-page/essential-truths-the-bay-area-in-color

 

https://www.peasepress.com/product-page/essential-truths-the-bay-area-in-color

 

An utter lack of accountability

Today there was a news article about a 7 year old autistic boy who went missing from his school during the school day. This was during a snowstorm, and he was found shivering and soaked in the middle of a busy traffic intersection by good neighborhood samaritans - and wearing just a thin t-shirt. 

The school of course insisted that the child had been missing a mere 2-3 minutes, though investigations show him having walked through a patch of woods and being outside for over 35 minutes. 

There had already been a plan in place as this autistic kid frequently eloped (a term used for kids who wander away). The police and parents were to be informed but neither happened. The good samaritans saw a kid darting about in traffic, stopped the traffic, rescued him, took him home and wrapped him in blankets. 

Unfortunately the school district missing an autistic child during the school day is more common that you would think. As is the practice of gaslighting parents on the details (fear of being sued!!). The fear of being sued apparently more critically important than any safety concerns of disabled children. 

When I was younger (~grade 3-4) I was in a classroom simply known as Room 20 in Dilworth Elementary. An autistic kid in my class did go missing for several hours. The school went into a lockdown as they searched for him. We were all asked to come indoors and stay inside. 

Later that afternoon, an old man who lived a few streets away returned the kid as he had found him wandering around. 

Of course, there was a lot of discussion in the class that day between the teacher and the classroom aides about how to downplay or not report this incident to the parents at all.  I don't know the end result of how much the parents were told,  but those overheard conversations about how to avoid revealing the truth about a missing child to its parents by educators are deeply disturbing. 

How can we autistics fully put our trust and faith in an education system if we don't believe educators (the ones supposed to nurture and help us) will only will watch their own back and not your back. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJBoKDEUJy4

https://www.cambridgetoday.ca/local-news/autism-advocates-call-for-more-school-supports-after-7-year-old-with-autism-found-at-busy-intersection-8197389

Crimson Friday

If Blue is Monday BLUES, then I assign color CRIMSON for Fridays - Fridays are playing a fiery catch up rush, on all that was due this week, not quite making the cut and knowing you are adding to next week's already big pile. 

https://youtu.be/J9lNuScDMzY

Read more of my poetry on YouTube on on this blog.

OMG I have so much, too much work left to do!!! #gradschoollife

https://www.peasepress.com/product-page/essential-truths-the-bay-area-in-color

 

 

https://www.peasepress.com/product-page/essential-truths-the-bay-area-in-color

Access to Education

 Image by India Autism Center Nayi Disha

 

 

https://www.peasepress.com/product-page/essential-truths-the-bay-area-in-color

https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/flexible-work-critics-using-same-arguments-were-used-oppose-disabled-ramps-closed-captioning-equity-access-never-optional-remote-work-careers-hari-srinivasan/

 

https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/flexible-work-critics-using-same-arguments-were-used-oppose-disabled-ramps-closed-captioning-equity-access-never-optional-remote-work-careers-hari-srinivasan/

 

Improving Accessibility

https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/flexible-work-critics-using-same-arguments-were-used-oppose-disabled-ramps-closed-captioning-equity-access-never-optional-remote-work-careers-hari-srinivasan/

Amazing piece by @PDSoros fellow and @TheOpEdProject fellow @HariSri108 on the importance of flexible work and improving accessibility

 

Yahoo Finance

 The Fortune Article showing on Yahoo Finance!!

My Op-Ed in Fortune on Hybrid as Accommodation

 

https://fortune.com/2023/07/27/flexible-work-critics-using-same-arguments-were-used-oppose-disabled-ramps-closed-captioning-equity-access-never-optional-remote-work-careers-hari-srinivasan/

Feedback on this article

Well said! I think you bring up important factor of hybrid work environments. I think that due to the pandemic and the proof that hybrid works and happens. I think a strong argument could be made for hybrid a ‘reasonable’ accommodation.

Hari! Great article highlighting an important issue that is impacting workplaces and activities like conferences nationwide. I will share with colleagues who are working on this issue.

Well done, again!


Wonderful article, Hari! Thank you! I shared it with my husband, who is a business owner and has chosen to keep the company remote post-pandemic. And I shared it with my son, who is a neurodiverse activist who has many friends with a range of neurodiversities. Really appreciate you publishing your perspective.

Love it


This is great Hari! We'll add this to our social media queue.


Congrats on this outstanding, informative op-ed!


Great article, congratulations!


Congrats on this compelling piece of advocacy! I've just tweeted about it.


Fantastic piece, Hari. I love your openness—I learn so much from your writing.


Hi Hari, Great article on an important topic that’s very relevant to all of us nowadays!!


Great Op-Ed Hari! It’s super interesting and compelling!

Congratulations, Hari! -- your piece raises so many important issues

So helpful to reframe return to inperson as part of lost opportunity to consider accommodations for autistic and disabled plus many vulnerable groups (parents!)

Congrats Hari! Great perspective and what a fantastic platform to share it in.

Congrats and great to see this piece published!

Hari, Bravo! What an honest op-ed that not only highlights the hybrid versus remote debate but also voices the predicament that academics/researchers with disabilities experience with travel and dissemination of their work.

This is such a thoughtful piece, Hari. Thanks so much for sharing it.

This is GREAT. Bravo.

Great article!'

Thanks so much for sharing Hari - an important article

Hi Hari!. Congrats on this compelling piece of advocacy! I've just tweeted about it.

Hi Hari, Congrats on this outstanding, informative op-ed! All the best,

Thanks for sharing this good paper.I love it

Love it

Thanks so much, for sharing this, Hari! Great article highlighting an important issue that is impacting workplaces and activities like conferences nationwide. I will share with colleagues who are working on this issue.

Thank you so much for writing this, Hari

NASEM: Cultivating Accessible Educational Pathways and Spaces

 

Event by National Academies of Sciences, Engr and Medicine. 

Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM:  

Cultivating Accessible Educational Pathways and Spaces 

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2023, 

I was on the the panel that runs from 1:35pm ET - 2:15pm ET

Recording link 

"This virtual session is a critical element of Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM: Cultivating Accessible Educational Pathways and Spaces, the fourth event in the five-part Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM conversation series.  Overall, this event in the series will focus on the important role of education in preparing students with disabilities as they enter the STEM ecosystem.  Discussions will focus on the need to challenge assumptions about who can learn and succeed in STEM and the need to make direct changes to policies and practices to facilitate positive educational experiences for students. Examples will include asset based approaches to learning in classrooms, laboratories, online, and in the field. 

Got a nice feedback email today. 

"My name is ____ and I work at a medical university in a northern town in ___Ontario Canada. I saw your presentation today on cultivating accessible educational pathways and spaces. I was completely blown away by your presentation. What you have accomplished is incredibly impressive. I not only applaud you but the professors who went out of their way to make labs accessible for you. I think as a medical school, we are behind the ball so to speak with regards to accommodating the needs of those with different abilities....... This entire series has been fascinating to me. Thank you for sharing."

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On behalf of the planning committee, I want to thank you for being part of the NASEM Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM discussion series.

This event was very well received, and your panel’s discussion was truly fantastic. Thank you for your leadership and for taking time to share your insight and expertise.

It feels like a historic and meaningful inflection point for people with disabilities in STEM, and we are grateful for your role in driving that change.

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On behalf of the planning committee for the Disrupting Ableism and Advancing STEM conversation series and the National Academies staff, I wanted to express my sincere gratitude to each of you for an informative and engaging panel session. We are proud to have brought together such an amazing group of individuals to speak about Lived Experiences: Listening, Learning, and Acting. I am certain that your discussion was greatly appreciated by the over 320 who attended on June 15th to learn about issues related to Cultivating Accessible Educational Pathways and Spaces.

Your expertise and insights were invaluable, and we are so grateful for the time and effort that you put into preparing and delivering your remarks. 

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Ed Levels and dx age

 I came across an intriguing fact today. 

Individuals who get an ADHD diagnosis in childhood tend to attain lower levels of education than individuals who get an ADHD in adulthood (Wymbs & Dawson-2015).

I wonder if there is a parallel in autism too. Do autistics who get dx in childhood have lower ed levels than autistics who get dx in adulthood. (though I could not see much research on this)

I would think so - cuz despite the claim that you get better access to childhood autism therapy (most of which does not work by the way), you also end up facing a lot of gatekeeping from an educational system that fundamentally starts off with a view of lower exceptions of anyone with a disability dx, which means you are often kept out of mainstream education, gatekeeped out of opportunities than those without a dx would have access to if they chose to pursue it. We are not even given that option of opportunities as everything and everyone around you indicates over and over that you are incapable of more than just surviving and being pushed up and out of the school system (parallels to the school-prison pipeline in minority communities). 

All this constant stigma and discrimination takes a toll on mental health, self-esteem, and motivation. If the ed foundational legs at the basic school level is non-supportive and discouraging, there is no motivation to complete and attempt yet another potentially demotivating/discouraging environment. 

Ironically I find that though it's a lot more work/effort (the disability part), ed is actually much more non-judgmental and freeing at college level compared to school, but you have to first navigate the school system; a step many may not be able to cross, to even make it to college.

Dear Colleague

https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/dear-colleague-letter-online-accessibility-postsecondary-institutions 

On May 19, 2023, the Justice Department and the Department of Education jointly issued a Dear Colleague Letter reminding colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions to ensure that their online services, programs, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities.

Letter at chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.justice.gov/crt/case-document/file/1584491/download

 

Hybrid is an easy accommodation

To give context to the above post, Sascha was one of the students in my Autism DeCal Class at UC Berkeley. I was happy to be able to accommodate her request of attending the class remotely that semester and extending that hybrid option to all the students in the class as well. Hybrid is such a simple and basic accommodation really, especially in a post pandemic world where zoom became a very viable option of attendance. 

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And to hark back to another teacher who paved this way for me was Instructor Martha Oral (English 1B) in my community college when I was about to drop my fall semester as I would be unable to attend due to health reasons. Martha on her own initiative talked to the Tech support and organized Cisco Webex on her laptop which one student monitored during her class so that i could attend that class remotely. This was before the pandemic made Zoom an everyday word.