September, 09 2009, 12:01pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Alan Barber, 202-293-5380 x115
Role of Disabilities Ignored for Tens of Millions Experiencing Income Poverty
Nearly half of all working age adults experiencing poverty have a disability.
WASHINGTON
When the Census Bureau releases its yearly data on income poverty this
Thursday, there will likely be little focus on disability as a cause
and consequence of poverty. Yet, as a new report
from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) shows, the
share of people experiencing income poverty who have disabilities is
far larger than conventionally understood. Nearly half of all
working-age adults experiencing poverty during the year have a
disability, and more than half of household heads will experience a
period of disability by their mid-50s.
The paper, "Half in Ten: Why Taking Disability into Account is Essential to Reducing Income Poverty and Expanding Economic Inclusion,"
reviews recent research on disability and poverty that finds higher
rates of disability over the life cycle and among persons experiencing
poverty than earlier research. This research employs newer,
sophisticated data sources and defines disability in a way more
consistent with the modern consensus. Among the key findings:
- Almost half of working-age adults who experience income poverty for at least a 12-month period have one or more disabilities.
- Nearly
two-thirds of working-age adults who experience consistent income
poverty-more than 36 months of income poverty during a 48-month
period-have one or more disabilities. - Male
household heads reaching their mid-50s have a 53 percent chance of
having been disabled at least once and a 19 percent chance of having
begun a chronic and severe disability. - People
with disabilities are much more likely to experience various forms of
material hardship-including food insecurity, not getting needed medical
or dental care, and not being able to pay rent, mortgage, and utility
bills-than people without disabilities, even after controlling for income and other characteristics. - Measures
of income poverty that fail to take disability into account likely
underestimate the income people with disabilities need to meet basic
needs.
"These
new findings show that any serious attempt at an agenda to reduce
income poverty must take disability into account as both a cause and
consequence of poverty," said Shawn Fremstad, the author of the report.
"Of particular importance," he adds, "are policies to ensure that all
Americans have health insurance and quality care, provide
paid-sick-days and paid-sick-leave to workers, and the modernization of
Social Security for people with disabilities."
The full report can be found here.
The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) was established in 1999 to promote democratic debate on the most important economic and social issues that affect people's lives. In order for citizens to effectively exercise their voices in a democracy, they should be informed about the problems and choices that they face. CEPR is committed to presenting issues in an accurate and understandable manner, so that the public is better prepared to choose among the various policy options.
(202) 293-5380LATEST NEWS
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A trio of U.S. senators on Friday introduced what's being billed as first-of-its-kind legislation sponsors say will "take on the greed of the food and beverage industry and address the growing diabetes and obesity epidemics" with a federal ban on junk food ads targeting children.
The Childhood Diabetes Reduction Act—introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.)—would also require warning labels "on sugar-sweetened foods and beverages; foods and beverages containing non-sugar sweeteners; ultra-processed foods; and foods high in nutrients of concern, such as added sugar, saturated fat, or sodium."
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As the senators noted:
Today, more than 35 million Americans are struggling with type 2 diabetes—90% of whom are overweight or obese. These crises go hand-in-hand and children are severely impacted. Today, 1 out of 5 five kids are living with obesity. A serious illness unto itself, diabetes is also a contributing factor to heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness, and kidney failure. Unless the U.S. dramatically changes course, these numbers will continue to grow exponentially.
The impact on the economy is enormous: Last year, the total cost of diabetes exceeded $400 billion, approximately 10% of overall U.S. healthcare expenditures.
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"This is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life.'"
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"One woman miscarried in the lobby restroom of a Texas emergency room as front desk staff refused to admit her," the journalist detailed. "Another woman learned that her fetus had no heartbeat at a Florida hospital, the day after a security guard turned her away from the facility. And in North Carolina, a woman gave birth in a car after an emergency room couldn't offer an ultrasound. The baby later died."
According to Seitz:
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It can take years for fines to be levied in these cases. The Health and Human Services agency, which enforces the law, declined to share if the hospitals have been referred to the agency's Office of Inspector General for penalties.
Responding to the reporting on social media, journalist Jane Mayer declared, "This is barbaric."
Texas Poor People's Campaign said that women in the state "are being left to die in ER waiting rooms. We cannot let this policy violence against women continue. Please join us as we mobilize voters for the '24 election."
Going into November, abortion has been a key issue at the state and federal level. Supporters of reproductive freedom are working to advance various ballot measures while Democratic President Joe Biden's campaign has highlighted his support for abortion rights and the presumptive Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, has bragged about his role in reversing Roe—he appointed three of the six justices behind the majority opinion.
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Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-Vt.) said that "this is the reality that extreme Republicans call 'pro-life'—pregnant women being turned away at hospitals and emergency centers. Absolutely disgraceful. No woman should ever be denied emergency care."
Slate's Mark Joseph Stern, who covers U.S. legal battles, noted that this "devastating and timely story" from Seitz comes "just days before the Supreme Court considers whether emergency rooms can legally force patients to the brink of death before terminating a failing pregnancy."
The high court is set to hear arguments in that case Wednesday. The Biden administration is challenging Idaho's near-total ban on abortion, which "would make it a criminal offense for doctors to comply with EMTALA's requirement to provide stabilizing treatment, even where a doctor determines that abortion is the medical treatment necessary to prevent a patient from suffering severe health risks or even death," as the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit explains.
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Bush (D-Mo.) joined progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in opposing the legislation, with centrist Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina also voting with the left-wing faction.
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