Disability and Poverty: A Conceptual Review

The relationship of disability to poverty is of increasing interest to policy makers as persons with disabilities are being mainstreamed into national poverty reduction programs. However, previous reviews on disability and poverty have not systematically addressed the concept of poverty. This article examines the conceptual and empirical links of three definitions of poverty to disability: basic needs, capability, and economic resources. It is shown that different definitions of poverty have different implications when applied to disability and that however defined, it is defined, poverty is closely related to disability. By drawing attention to the limitations of existing studies, this article identifies areas for future research and their implications for policy.