View our data brief on Texans with disabilities here.
Every Texan honors and celebrates the past and present contributions of Texans with disabilities. Newly released data from the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) show that people with disabilities make up 12% of Texas’ total civilian non-institutionalized population. That’s over 3.5 million Texans that have at least one disability.
Using ACS data, we were able to provide summary statistics on Texans with disabilities to give us insight into who they are and how they are faring economically in a new data brief. Of Texans with disabilities, 47% have an ambulatory difficulty and 38% have a cognitive difficulty. That’s over 1.6 million Texans with ambulatory difficulty and over 1.3 million with cognitive difficulty. Black and non-Hispanic White Texans have the highest rates of people with disabilities, both at 14%.
In terms of employment, we can see that there are still systemic barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully being able to participate and thrive within our economy. The median income for Texans with disabilities is $29,427, while the median income for Texans without disabilities is higher at $39,412. Many Texans with disabilities also live in poverty and lack access to adequate healthcare. One in five Texans with a disability lives in poverty. Additionally, of all Texans with disabilities, 12% are uninsured. The rate is much higher for Texans with disabilities aged 19 to 64–one in five are uninsured, or 20%.
People with disabilities are at a greater risk for abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violation of legal and human rights. Systemic barriers that bar people with disabilities from participating fully in our society and economy should be addressed and remedied. When all Texans are able to thrive, Texas is a better state.
Learn more about Texans with disabilities here.