Assets and Income: Disability-based Disparities in the United States

The authors analyzed data from the 2001 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to determine the extent of a disability-based net worth and income gap among U.S. households. The sample included 4,154 households with an adult with disabilities and 12,365 households without an adult with disabilities. Households with an adult with disabilities had substantially reduced net worth and income as contrasted with households without adults with disabilities, regardless of family structure (married couple, single women, or single men). Policy implications are discussed.