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Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Parents with Disabilities in the United States and Their Risk of Poverty: Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2016-2020 American Community Survey

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Title: Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Parents with Disabilities in the United States and Their Risk of Poverty: Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2016-2020 American Community Survey
Language: English
Authors: Miriam Heyman (ORCID 0009-0006-2155-3917), Frank Li, Ilhom Akobirshoev, Monika Mitra
Source: Journal of Disability Policy Studies. 2026 36(4):221-230.
Availability: SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (DHHS/ACL)
Contract Number: 90dpcp0012
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Parents with Disabilities, At Risk Persons, Poverty, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Marital Status, Educational Attainment, Employment Level, Welfare Services, Health Insurance, Place of Residence, Family Structure, Age Differences, Rural Areas, Urban Areas
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: American Community Survey
DOI: 10.1177/10442073251368349
ISSN: 1044-2073
1538-4802
Abstract: People with disabilities are increasingly becoming parents, but population estimates of parents with disabilities vary. Also, there is very little information about the life circumstances of parents with disabilities. This study uses the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data, 2016-2020, to explore the prevalence and life circumstances of disabled parents in the United States. Findings indicate that there are roughly 65.9 million parents in the United States, and about 4.4 million have a disability. Parents with any disability are more likely to live below 100% of the poverty line (27.30%) compared to nonparents with disabilities (17.74%), parents without disabilities (11.38%), or nonparents without disabilities (9.30%). Even after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and potentially protective factors such as program participation, the risk of poverty remains elevated (relative risk [RR] = 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.91-1.95, p < 0.001) for parents with any disability. Disparities persist across each of six disability types. Additional research is critical to inform program and policy development.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1496628
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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PubType: Academic Journal
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  Data: Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Parents with Disabilities in the United States and Their Risk of Poverty: Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2016-2020 American Community Survey
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Miriam+Heyman%22&quot;&gt;Miriam Heyman&lt;/searchLink&gt; (ORCID &lt;externalLink term=&quot;https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2155-3917&quot;&gt;0009-0006-2155-3917&lt;/externalLink&gt;)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Frank+Li%22&quot;&gt;Frank Li&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Ilhom+Akobirshoev%22&quot;&gt;Ilhom Akobirshoev&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AR&quot; term=&quot;%22Monika+Mitra%22&quot;&gt;Monika Mitra&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;SO&quot; term=&quot;%22Journal+of+Disability+Policy+Studies%22&quot;&gt;&lt;i&gt;Journal of Disability Policy Studies&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/searchLink&gt;. 2026 36(4):221-230.
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  Data: SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
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  Data: 10
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (DHHS/ACL)
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Parents+with+Disabilities%22&quot;&gt;Parents with Disabilities&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22At+Risk+Persons%22&quot;&gt;At Risk Persons&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Poverty%22&quot;&gt;Poverty&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Symptoms+%28Individual+Disorders%29%22&quot;&gt;Symptoms (Individual Disorders)&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Racial+Differences%22&quot;&gt;Racial Differences&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Ethnicity%22&quot;&gt;Ethnicity&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Marital+Status%22&quot;&gt;Marital Status&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Educational+Attainment%22&quot;&gt;Educational Attainment&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Employment+Level%22&quot;&gt;Employment Level&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Welfare+Services%22&quot;&gt;Welfare Services&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Health+Insurance%22&quot;&gt;Health Insurance&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Place+of+Residence%22&quot;&gt;Place of Residence&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Family+Structure%22&quot;&gt;Family Structure&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Age+Differences%22&quot;&gt;Age Differences&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Rural+Areas%22&quot;&gt;Rural Areas&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;DE&quot; term=&quot;%22Urban+Areas%22&quot;&gt;Urban Areas&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;SU&quot; term=&quot;%22American+Community+Survey%22&quot;&gt;American Community Survey&lt;/searchLink&gt;
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  Data: 10.1177/10442073251368349
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  Data: 1044-2073&lt;br /&gt;1538-4802
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: People with disabilities are increasingly becoming parents, but population estimates of parents with disabilities vary. Also, there is very little information about the life circumstances of parents with disabilities. This study uses the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year data, 2016-2020, to explore the prevalence and life circumstances of disabled parents in the United States. Findings indicate that there are roughly 65.9 million parents in the United States, and about 4.4 million have a disability. Parents with any disability are more likely to live below 100% of the poverty line (27.30%) compared to nonparents with disabilities (17.74%), parents without disabilities (11.38%), or nonparents without disabilities (9.30%). Even after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and potentially protective factors such as program participation, the risk of poverty remains elevated (relative risk [RR] = 1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.91-1.95, p &lt; 0.001) for parents with any disability. Disparities persist across each of six disability types. Additional research is critical to inform program and policy development.
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  Data: As Provided
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  Label: Entry Date
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  Data: 2026
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  Label: Accession Number
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  Data: EJ1496628
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1496628
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/10442073251368349
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
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        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 221
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Parents with Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: At Risk Persons
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Poverty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Racial Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Ethnicity
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      – SubjectFull: Marital Status
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Level
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      – SubjectFull: Welfare Services
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      – SubjectFull: Health Insurance
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      – SubjectFull: Place of Residence
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      – SubjectFull: Family Structure
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      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Rural Areas
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      – SubjectFull: Urban Areas
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      – SubjectFull: American Community Survey
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      – TitleFull: Demographic and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Parents with Disabilities in the United States and Their Risk of Poverty: Cross-Sectional Analysis of 2016-2020 American Community Survey
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              Y: 2026
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