This document provides an introduction to a term paper on the socioeconomic effects of disability. It discusses several key topics: 1) The costs of disability, including direct costs like additional living expenses and public disability programs, as well as indirect costs like lost productivity. However, costs are difficult to quantify due to varying definitions and limited data. 2) The relationship between disability and poverty, as disabilities often limit economic opportunities and increase expenses, putting people at higher risk of falling below the poverty line. 3) Barriers people with disabilities face in education, resulting in lower educational attainment and fewer opportunities to participate meaningfully in the labor market. 4) Major barriers people with disabilities encounter in the labor market

1. Econ 3300 Term Paper
The Socioeconomic Effects of Disability
Professor Brian Ferguson
Matthew Malinsky – 0756443

2. Introduction:
The World HealthOrganizationhasestimatedthatthere are approximately1billionpeopleaffectedby
some formof disabilityworldwide. Disabilityisanumbrellatermthatincludesimpairmentswhichisa
probleminbodyfunctionorstructure,activitylimitationswhichare definedasadifficultyencountered
by an individual inexecutingatask or action,and participationrestrictionsinlife situations(World
HealthOrganization, 2011). InCanada alone there were anestimated3.8millionadultCanadians
(13.7% of adultpopulation) thatreportedbeinglimitedinthe dailyactivities byadisability. Over11% of
Canadianadultssufferedfromone of the three mostprevalentdisabilitytypeswhichare pain,mobility,
and flexibility(StatCan,2012). From an economicstandpointitisimportanttorecognize thatdisability
doesnotonlyconstitute ahealthissue;itisa complex phenomenon,reflectingthe interactionbetween
the featuresof an individual andthe featuresof the societythathe orshe livesin. A disabilitycanbe
temporaryor episodic,meaningthatpeopleare notnecessarilyaffectedbyitcontinuously. InCanada
from1999 to 2004, only13% whoindicatedadisabilityreportedbeingaffectedbyitduringall 6 years
(StatCan, 2012).
The economicand social costsof disabilityare substantial,butcanbe problematictoquantifyasthey
include bothdirectandindirect costs(WorldHealthOrganization, 2011). Understandingthe costsand
implicationsof disabilityisimportantinthe formationof publicprogramsandservicesthatare created
for the purpose of assistingthose thatare affected. The effectsof disabilityare notonlyfeltbythe
individual,butalsobytheirfamilies,theiremployers,andsocietyasawhole. People withdisabilities
have generallypoorerhealth,lowereducationachievements,fewereconomicopportunitiesandhigher
ratesof povertythanthose individualswhoare unaffected. Asa resultof prevalentbarriers inmany
aspectsof the economy, there are huge disparitiesineducationandincome levelsforpeoplewith

3. disabilities,andmanyfall below the povertyline. Accordingtoanational studyconductedin2004, only
10% of Canadiansbelieve thatpeoplewithdisabilitiesare fullyincludedinsociety,withthe majorityalso
wantingtohelpimprove the livesof people withdisabilitiesandagree thatthe social benefitiswell
worththe cost(Environics, 2004). There are manyprograms,grants, andtax credits that are offered by
governments suchasSupplemental SecurityDisabilityInsuranceinthe UnitedStatesandthe Canada
PensionPlanDisabilityVocational RehabilitationProgramthatare inplace to mitigate the barriersthat
disabledindividualsface. Employersexperience the implicationsof disabilityinthe formsof insurance
costs andabsenteeismwhichisamajor businessissue formanyCanadianorganizationsasitdecreases
productivitysubstantially.
The aim of thispaper isto discuss andanalyze the socioeconomiceffectsof disabilityonthe individual
and societyasa whole. Economictheorywill be appliedtothe complex relationshipsbetweendisability,
poverty,education,andthe labourmarket. Itwill outline how people withdisabilitiesface exclusionin
varioussectorsof the economywhichresultsinincreasedsusceptibilitytopoverty. Lastly,
recommendationswillbe posedregardingthe economicapproachtodisabilityfromanindividual and
societal standpoint. Althoughthe majorityof datausedinthispaperhas beentakenfromstudies
conductedmainlyinNorthAmericawhichwill be the geographical focus,itwilltouchonsome
international studiesandthereforealsoadoptaglobal perspective.
Costsof Disability:
People withdisabilitiesare facedwithanarray of significantdirectandindirectcosts,whichmeansthat
theycan be difficulttoquantify. Notall of the costsare borne by individualswithdisabilities,withsome
beingpassedontofriendsandfamilyandothersbeingborne bysociety. The addeddirectandindirect
cost of havinga disabilitymeansthattoachieve the same minimumstandardof livingpeoplewith
disabilitiesrequiremore resources. Althoughitisevidentthatthe costsof disabilityare substantial,

4. comprehensive estimatesof the total costto an individualare scarce,eveninthe developednationsof
the world. Thiscan be problematicforgovernmentsandpolicymakersbecausequantifyingthe costsof
disabilityisimperative whendesigningpublicprogrammesaimedathelpingpeopleswithdisabilities.
There are manyfactors that contribute tothe difficultyinmeasuringthe costsof disability,withthe
mainreasonbeingthatthe definitionof disabilityoftenvariesnotonlyacrossnations,butevenacross
disciplineswhichmeansthatcomparingdataacross sourcescan be problematic. The limitedamountof
data regardingcostcomponentsof disabilityisanotherobstacle forresearchers,andthere isnoagreed
uponmethodforcost estimationwhichresultsinmanydifferentresultswhenattemptingtoanalyze
costs (Saunders,2006). Inorder to properlyaddressthe addedcostsof disabilityandassistindividuals
withthem,technical progressmustbe made forestimationtechniquesandmore reliable datais
requiredinordertoconduct accurate national level studies.
Althoughthe costsof disabilitycanbe difficulttomeasure,directcostsare substantiallyeasierto
calculate thanthe indirectcoststhat people withdisabilitiesface. The directcostsof disabilitycanbe
brokendownintotwosections:the addedexpense thatindividualsandtheirfamiliesface inorderto
achieve areasonable standardof livingwithadisability,anddisabilitybenefitsthatare distributed
throughnumerouspublicprogrammesand paidforbythe government(Zaidi,2005). To accomplisha
reasonable standardof livingequaltothatof non-disabledpeople,manyadditionalcostsare often
incurred. Thisrise incosts can be attributedtospendingonhealthcare services,specialformsof
transportation,personal assistance,laundryservicesandmanyotherexpensesthatfall withinthe wide
array of costsof livingwithadisability. Recentnationalstudieshave attemptedtoanalyze andquantify
the addedcosts of livingwithadisability,butthe numbersvarysubstantiallyfromnationtonation. In
the UnitedKingdomthe costestimatesfora disabilityrelativetototal income range from11% to 69%
(Zaidi,2005). An Australianstudyconcludedthatthe costs,whichwere dependentonthe severityof
the disability,fellwithin29%and 37% of total income (Saunders,2006). The variationof cost estimates

5. born byindividualswithdisabilitiesandtheirfamiliesmeansthatthere isnoagreeduponmethodfor
measuringandestimating.
The other formof directcost of disabilityisthe publicspendingondisabilityprogrammes,of which
nearlyall nationshave some formaimedatassistingpersonswithdisabilities. The costof these
programmesissubstantial,butasisthe case for assessingthe individual costof disability,noestimates
of a total cost model exist. These governmentfundeddisabilityprogramsrange fromhealthand
rehabilitationservices,labourmarketprogrammes,vocational educationandtraining,disabilitysocial
insurance benefits,socialassistance disabilitybenefitsincash,andvariousotherstogetherwith
administrativeoverheads(WorldHealthOrganization, 2011). For nationslike Canadathatare members
of the OrganizationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment(OECD),anaverage of 1.2% of total
GDP is spentoncontributoryandnon-contributorydisabilitybenefitsthatinclude full andpartial
disabilitybenefitsandearlyretirementschemestailoredtodisability orreducedworkcapacity(OECD,
2009). Boththe numberof recipientsandthe level of spendingonthese programmeshave increased
overthe last twentyyearswhichisposingseriousconcernregardingaffordabilityandthe longterm
sustainabilityof these typesof programmes (OECD,2009). The indirectcostsborne as a resultof
disabilityhave proventobe substantiallymore challengingtomeasure andanalyze. Fromaneconomic
standpointthe majorindirectcostsassociatedwithdisabilityisthe lossof productivityfrominsufficient
investmentinthe educationof disabledyouth,exitsfromthe labourmarketorseverelyreducedwork
resultingfromthe onsetof disability,andlastlythe lossof taxesfromthese individuals. The lossof
labourproductivitythatiscoupledwithalossintaxescan be borne both the disabledandtheirfamilies,
because itiscommonthat individualsreduce theirlabourhoursorexitthe workforce completelyin
orderto care for theirdisabledfamilymembers. These indirectcoststhatare borne bysocietyare very
complex intermsof estimatingbecauseitisdifficulttomeasure the productivityof apersonthathas
droppedfromthe labourforce resultingfromdisability. Therefore,reliable estimatesinthe lossin

6. productivityandtaxesare veryuncommon. A CanadianNational PopulationHealthSurveysuggested
that in1998 the lossof workthroughshort-termandlong-termdisabilitywas6.7% of total GDP
(StatCan,2011).
DisabilityandPoverty:
The study of the relationshipbetweendisabilityandpovertyvariesgreatlyfromcountrytocountry as a
resultof differingdefinitionsof disabilityandpovertystatus. Manyconceptual andmeasurementissues
can arise whenanalyzingthe relationshipbecauseof the multi-dimensional nature of povertyand
disabilityandalsothe differingindefinitionsinternationally. The largestdifferencescanbe seenwhen
comparingdevelopedanddevelopingcountriesinregardstoestablishingacausal relationshipbetween
the two. People withdisabilitiesonaverage experience substantiallyworse educational andlabour
marketoutcomesandtherefore are more susceptible tofallingbelow the povertyline (WorldHealth
Organization, 2011). StatisticsCanadaclassifiesfamiliesandpeoplewholive alone orwithnon-related
othersas havinglowafter-tax incomeswhere theyspend20% or more than the average on food,
shelter,andclothing. Thislow-incomecut-off (LICO), alsoknownasthe povertyline, doesn’ttake into
account disabilityrelatedexpensesformedications,servicesandotherspecificcosts(StatCan,2009).
Notonlyare individualswithdisabilitiesfacedwithlimitedopportunitiestoearnincome,buttheir
medical expensesare generallymuchhigherthanthe average person. Ina 2009 OECD studycovering21
developednations,workingage people withdisabilitieswere foundtobe twice aslikelytobe
unemployedandthose that didhadjobswere more likelytobe workingpart-time andhave lower
socioeconomicstatus (WorldHealthOrganization, 2011). The socioeconomicstatusof anindividual is
oftenmeasuredasa combinationof education,income andoccupation andisrelevant toall aspectsof
behavioural andsocial science (AmericanPsychological Association,2007). Disabilitiescanaffectthe

7. socioeconomicstatusof entire families,because peoplewithdisabilitiesare more likelytoexperience
discriminationthatleadstofinancial difficultiesandeconomicdeprivation(Elwan, 1999).
In 2006 the overall povertyrate forCanadianadultswas10.5% whilst forpersonswithdisabilities itwas
14.4% whichtranslatesintonearly600,000 Canadiancitizens. Of these 600,000 individualslivingbelow
the povertyline withdisabilities,itwasdeterminedthat59% were women(PALS,2006). The prevalence
of disabilityincreasessteadilywithage with10.1% of working-age Canadiansreportedhavingadisability
in2012, comparedto 33.2% of Canadianseniorsaged65 andup. Althoughthere hasa limitedamount
of researchonthe socioeconomicstatusof people withdisabilitiesindevelopingcountries, ithasbeen
growingrecently. Asinthe case withdevelopednations,the majorityof studiesconductedhave found
that personswithdisabilitieshave loweremploymentratesandlowereducational attainmentthan
those without(WorldHealthOrganization, 2011). Howeveritisimportantto note that indeveloping
countriesthe evidence forthe relationshipbetweendisabilityandpovertyislessconclusivewhen
consideringassetownership,livingconditions,andincome andconsumptionexpenditures. Peoplewith
disabilitiesoftenrequire awide array of servicesthatcan range from minorandinexpensivetocomplex
and verycostly. These servicescanrelate topersonal care,accessto aids,participationineducationand
employment,andmodificationstothe home. Inbothdevelopedanddevelopingnationsthere are large
gaps inservice provisions forpeoplewithdisabilities,withunmetneedsespeciallyhighforwelfare,
assistive devices,educationandvocational training. Fromaneconomicstandpointitisclearthat not
onlyare povertyanddisability closelyrelated,buttheyare also entwinedinapositive feedbackloop.
Povertyincreasesthe riskof disabilitythroughlackof healthcare,poornutrition,anddangerousworking
and livingconditions,anddisabilityincreasesthe riskof povertythroughpooraccesstoeducationand
the labourmarketas a resultof exclusionandsocial stigmas(Elwan, 1999). People withdisabilitiescan
be caught in a viciouscycle of povertyanddisability,witheachbeingbothcausesandconsequencesof
the other.

8. DisabilityandEducation:
The global estimate forthe numberof childrenlivingwithdisabilitiesrangesbetween93millionand150
million(UN ChildrensFund,2005) dependingonthe definitionof disability. A 2001 Participationand
ActivityLimitationSurvey(PALS) estimatedthat155,000 Canadianchildren betweenthe agesof 5 and
14 have some formof disability(StatCan,2012). InCanada, almosthalf of parentsreportedhaving
experienceddifficultyinregardstoobtainingspecial educationfortheirchildregardlessof the type of
disabilityorthe severity. Althoughthe majorityof childrenduring2006 were havingtheirneedsmetto
some degree,17.3%of all childrenwithdisabilitieshadunmeteducational aidsneedsand24.3% had
special educationneedsunmet(PALS,2006). Over40% of Canadianchildrenwhose parentsfeltthey
neededspecialeducationwere notreceivinganyformandnearlyone infive childrendidnothave the
educationaidsthattheyrequired. The general consensusamongparentsregardingwhythere were
unmetneedsforspecial educationcame downtoa lack of servicesandstaffingwithinschools
nationwide (PALS, 2006). These unmetneedsamongotherare majorcontributingfactorstowhythere
are performance shortfallsbymanystudentswithdisabilities. These barrierstoeducationresultina
verysmall percentage of personswithdisabilitieseverpursuingapost-secondaryeducation,letalone
obtainingadegree,withonly6%of people withdisabilitiesbetweenthe agesof 16-63 havingobtaineda
bachelor’sdegree orhigherinthe UnitedStates(U.S.CensusBureau,2006)
Many individualsthatsufferfromdisabilitieshave historicallybeenexcludedfrommainstream
educationopportunities,whichfurthercontributetothe povertycycle thatmanyof these people are
trappedin. It is imperativethatnationsensure thattheyhave propereducationprogrammestailoredto
the needsof disabledpersons,becauseeducationcontributestohumancapital formationandtherefore
isa majorcontributingfactorof personal well-being. Thisdemonstratesagainhow disabilitydoesnot
onlyaffectthe individual,butcanhave substantial economicandsocial costs. By notprovidingdisabled

9. youththe toolsto succeedthrougheducationopportunities, nationsare likelytohave highernumbers
of individualsthatfall belowthe povertyline because educationisvital forparticipationinthe labour
force. A studyby the U.S. National Council onDisabilityrevealedthat25% of personswithdisabilities
that heldlessthana highschool degree comparedto66% of personswithoutadisability. Thistrendis
alsoaccurate inregards to holdingahighschool degree with36% of disabilitiesemployedcomparedto
76% withoutanda bachelor’sdegree with 55% of personswithdisabilitiesemployedand83% of those
withouta disabilityobtainingemployment (National Council onDisability,2008). A benefitof providing
suitable educationopportunitiesforpersonswithdisabilitiesthatisoftenoverlookisthe abilitytofight
the stigmathat surroundsdisability. Byincludingthese individuals,itincreasesthe familiarityand
reducesprejudice amongchildrenwhoare notdisabled. Fornationstopromote an equitable society
inclusive educationisimperative andall nationsof the worldneedtotake appropriate actiontoensure
that people withdisabilitieshave the opportunitytoreceive apropereducation.
Disabilityandthe LabourMarket:
Many of the largestbarriersthatpeople withdisabilitiesmustface are presentinthe labourmarket.
There are majordisparitiesinemploymentandearningsbetweenindividualswithdisabilitiesandthose
without,manyof whichare a resultof the stigmasurroundingthe termdisability. The relationship
betweendisabilityandthe labourmarketisaneconomicrelationshipineverysense andunderstanding
the effectsthatdisabilityhasonthe labourmarketfrom the perspectiveof the individual andsocietyis
imperative inpromotinganeconomicallysustainable society. Throughoutthe worldthere are
individualswithdisabilitiesworkinginawide array of positions,fromdoctorstofarmersto
entrepreneurs. Giventhe righttoolstosucceed,personswithdisabilitieshave the abilitytobe
productive membersof societyandbenefitthemselvesandsocietyasa whole. Thatbeingsaid,in
nationsall acrossthe globe people withdisabilitiesexperience substantiallylowerratesof employment

10. and those thatare employedgenerallyearnlessannually. These lowerratesof labourmarket
participation are majorfactorsthroughwhichdisabilitymay leadtopoverty(Mete,2008). Studies
conductedbyStatisticsCanadahave revealedthatdisabledmenof workingage earnonaverage $9,557
lessannuallythanthose withoutdisabilities,whereaswomenof workingage withdisabilitiesearn
$8,853 lessthantheirnon-disabledcounterparts(StatCan,2012). Althoughthere are large differences
inearnings,the largestissue formanyindividualswithdisabilitiesisobtainingemployment. According
to a 2013 study conductedby BMO financial group,only3in 10 small businessownershave hired
personswithdisabilitiesduringthatyear,andthat 69% of all small businessownersinCanadahadnever
hireda personwitha disability. The same studyrevealedthatalmost half of Canadiansbelieve that
hidingadisabilityfromaprospective employerwouldsubstantiallyincrease acandidate’schancesof
gettinghired,with48%of individualssurveyedadmittingthattheywouldbe more likelytoclimbthe
corporate ladderif they kepttheirdisabilitysecret. The largestbarrierstoenteringthe labourmarket
for individualswithadisabilityare lackof access,the stigmasurroundingdisability,discriminationandin
some nation’soverprotectioninlabourlaws.
Many nationshave attemptedtoovercome the barrierstothe labourmarketthat manypersonswith
disabilitiesface byenactinglawsthatprohibitdiscriminationonthe basisof disability,setting
employmentquotas,andprovidingvocational rehabilitation andemploymentservices. Althoughthese
lawsand programsare beneficial,anumberof factorsstill impactlabourmarketoutcomessuchas
productivitydifferentialsandlabourmarketimperfectionsrelatedtodiscriminationandprejudice
(OECD,2010). It isimportantto note thatthese remediescreatedbynational governmentsonlyaffect
the formal economy,government-regulatedpublicandprivate sectoremployment. The informal
economyisgenerallyunregulatedandthisiswhere manypersonswithdisabilitiestendto work,with
over87% of India’s workingdisabledpopulationemployedwithinthissector (UN,2012). A contributing
factor forthe majorityof disabledindividualsworkingwithinthe informal sectoristhatthese people

11. oftenneedflexibleschedulesdue to healthmatters,sotheyworkpart-time jobswhichcanensure more
flexibility. Howeverpart-timejobsgenerallypaylowerwagesandoffersubstantiallylessbenefitsthana
full-time positiondoes. Manylow-incomehouseholdsmaynotbe able torecoverfromthe economic
shockimposedbyincome lossasa resultof lostwork hourswhena householdheadbecomesdisabled.
Personswithadisabilityindeedworkfewerworkhoursperyear,witha 6 yearstudyin Canada
identifyingagapof 1.6 yearsof lostwork time measuredinthe difference inworkhoursbetween
people withandwithoutadisability(StatCan, 2012). In Russiaon average,aone-stepdeteriorationin
healthstatusresultsina 14% wage decrease,buta one-stepdeteriorationindisabilityranking resultsin
a massive 30% wage decrease. Althoughsome saythatuniversal insurance programscansolve the
income lossproblemsresultingfromdisability, itisunclearif itwill be successfulbecause suchalarge
portionof the disabledpopulationoperatesinthe informal sector,whichmakesitchallengingtocollect
the insurance premiums(UN,2012).
It isimperative thatgovernmentsandemployersworldwidetake appropriate actiontomitigate the
manybarriersto entrythat personswithdisabilities face withinthe labourmarket. The processof
improvinglabourmarketopportunitiesforthese peoplerequiresgovernments,employers,andtrade
unionstorecognize theirrolesandtake assertive actiontoensure thatthese individualsare givenequal
opportunitytosucceedandachieve ahighqualityof living. Governmentsare able tobreakdownthese
barriersbychangingthe publicattitude regardingdisabilityandenactingandenforcingproperanti-
discriminatorylegislation. Bychangingthe attitudesof the public,governmentscanbegintocounteract
the substantial stigmathathasbuiltup overthe lastfew decadesregardingdisabledpersonsandtheir
competencyinthe labourmarket. Implementationof variouspubliclabourmarketprogrammesby
governmentsisalsoaway inwhichthese labourmarketbarrierscanbe overcome,whetheritis
vocational guidance andtrainingprogrammes,employmentservices,orsocial protectionprogrammes.
Employerscanalsomake great stridesforthe inclusionof disabled personsinthe workplace bymaking

12. reasonable accommodationsavailablewhere neededandhiringdisabledindividuals. The creationof
disabilitymanagementprogrammesisalsoamajorfactor inreducingthe presentbarriers,because this
reinforcesthe returntoworkfor those thathave become disabled. These employersponsored
programmesmustfocuson healthpromotionanddisabilityprevention,andonhelpingemployees
returnto work. Lastly,employersmustensure thatall of theirmanagersandHR staff understandthe
requirementsforaccommodating andemployingdisabledpersons andthatthere isno basisfor
discriminationwithintheirorganizations. Bytakingthese actions,nations andthe organizationsthat
operate withinthem canensure thattheyare promotingan economicallysustainablesocietywithequal
opportunitiesforall citizens.
Conclusion:
The socioeconomiceffectof disabilityisaveryappealingtopictome because myfatherhasbeen
battlingMultiple Sclerosisforthe last16 years. I have seenfirsthandthe economiceffectsof disability
and the massive coststhat the individual andsocietymustbearwhichisamajor contributingfactorfor
whyI chose thistopicto discuss. I understandthatthisisnot supposedtobe an opinionpiece, butI
wantedtoconnect myfatherto it somehow sointhe nextsectionIwill highlightthe economiceffects
that my father’sdisabilityhashadon our familyandthe Canadiangovernment. Twoyearsafterbeing
diagnosedhe wasletgofrom himjoband was unable to findfull-timeworkagainashe was walking
witha cane whichmade the prospectof findingajobdifficult. He was56 yearsoldat the time andwas
earning$150,000 annuallyandtherefore lost9years(had he workedupuntil retirement) of income for
a total of $1.35 milliondollars. Thisamountedto$65,000 annual losttax revenue tothe Canada
revenue agency,whichover9yearswouldhave amountedto$585,000, and $765,000 lostdiscretionary
income tomy family.

13. These amountsare onlya fractionof the economiccostsbaredby my familyandthe Canadian
government,becausethe majorityof the cost isthe full time care facilityhe livesin. Itcostsmy family
$20,400 annuallytoprovide afull time care facilitywhichtotalsto$163,200 over the course of hisstay
at thisfacility. The governmenthasprovidedmyfatherwithdisabilitypensionandCPPfromage 56 to
65 totaling$180,000 ($18,000 annually). The biggestcostforthe governmentisthe full-timefacility
care whichis$900 a day, translatingto$336,000 per yearand overthe course of 8 years ithas cost the
Canadiangovernment$2,688,000 to provide thiscare. The total cost to myfamilyisfoundbysumming
the lostincome andmonthlycare costsand subtractingthe disability/CPP incomereceived,whichtotals
$1,333,200 netcosts to my family. The total costto the Canadiangovernmentisfoundbysummingthe
care facilitycosts,losttax revenue,anddisabilitypension/CPPpaymentsforatotal cost of $3,453,000.
Regardlessof the severity,personswithdisabilitiesare facedwithsocial andeconomicbarriersinall
aspectsof theirlives. Governmentsandorganizationsmusttake appropriateactiontoensure thatthese
individualsare givenequalopportunityinregardstolabour andeducation. Governmentscanhelp
overcome these barriersinthe labourmarketbychangingthe stigmasurroundingdisabilityand
enactinganti-discriminatorylegislation. Organizationsneedtofocusonthe hiringof personswith
disabilitiesandthe utilizationof disabilitymanagementprogrammesinthe workplace. Regarding
education,we mustpromote inclusionof personswithdisabilitiesasthiswill furtherbreakdownthe
barriersand provide these peoplewithequalopportunitiestoobtainingemploymentpost-graduation.
By breakingdownthe presentbarriersinthe workplace andineducation,we canbegintoeliminate the
stigmasurroundingthe termdisability. Thiswill helptoendthe povertycycle thatmanypersonswith
disabilityinthe worldare trappedwithin,becausethroughequal opportunitymanymore will be able to
obtainwell-payingjobsandmanage the manycosts thatare associatedwithdisability.

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