East Hanover, NJ – July 23, 2024 – A comparative analysis of employment experiences before and after the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) reveals that the "ADA generation" working-age population with disabilities (individuals born after 1990) boasts a higher employment-to-population ratio compared to the non-ADA generation with disabilities. That's according to last Friday's National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) Deeper Dive Lunch & Learn Webinar presented by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD).
The data also showed that the ADA generation without disabilities lags behind their non-ADA counterparts in employment rates, indicating ongoing challenges for this group. Overall, the data suggests progress in closing the employment gap between individuals with and without disabilities, largely driven by the ADA generation's significant presence in the labor market, according to presenter Hyun Ju Kim, PhD, project director III at UNH-IOD.
Additionally, guest speaker Brittany Potvin, PhD candidate and community health worker in the Strafford County Public Health Network, New Hampshire, who is partially paralyzed as a result of a head-on collision, offered a personal overview of models of disability. She clarified the difference between ADA compliance and accessibility for people with disabilities and underscored the necessity for universal design.
ADA Generation Moves the Needle
"In 2023 to 2024, the ADA generation (people who are 34 years old and younger) had a 45% employment-to-population ratio, and for the non-ADA generation, the employment rate was far lower than that, which is 34.6%," recounted Dr. Kim. "This has been the trend so far since the Great Recession, where the ADA generation has been driving the employment rate of people with disabilities," she said.
Meanwhile, the overall employment rate for people without disabilities was 75.2% in 2023 to 2024. Within this group, those from the non-ADA generation had an employment rate of 79.9%, while those from the ADA generation had a lower rate of 68.4%. "This data highlights the persistent trend that the ADA generation without disabilities is less likely to be employed compared to the non-ADA generation," asserted Dr. Kim. "Overall, it's interesting to see the strong presence in the labor market of the ADA generation with disabilities compared to the ADA generation without disabilities," she added.
Dr. Kim posed several hypotheses that might be driving this finding including more widely available and accepted workplace accommodations for this generation, which helps them engage in the labor market. Also, more people in this generation may be identifying themselves as disabled because the inclusion of disability in all aspects of community has helped them feel proud of their identity.
Personal Story of Resilience
Brittany Potvin shared her journey of overcoming a life-altering accident and living with visible and invisible disabilities. "Navigating life with disabilities has been challenging, but it has also given me a unique perspective on the importance of accessibility and inclusion," she said. "The ADA has been instrumental in my ability to advocate for myself and others." Her story underscores the importance of accessibility, inclusion, and universal design in creating equitable opportunities for people with disabilities.
"I learned that managing my disability was relative to the situation at hand. When we leave our own environments, our disabilities can become more prominent and challenging. When I'm at home, I'm not disabled because my home environment emphasizes my abilities. But unfortunately, the outside world emphasizes my limitations," asserted Potvin.
She highlighted the ongoing societal challenges and the importance of changing perceptions. "There's still a lot of stigma surrounding the word disabled. When we talk about accessibility, it's often seen as a burden," said Potvin. Working to eliminate those stigmas has been a significant focus of her efforts.
Potvin has also discovered that ADA compliance doesn't guarantee easy accessibility for people with disabilities. Many buildings can navigate around ADA regulations and frequently qualify for exemptions, especially older, historic structures. "An idea that is still new to a lot of people is universal design, which was defined by the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design for all people, regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability," explained Potvin.
Universal design offers significant benefits, including long-term cost savings by addressing requirements upfront, driving innovation through multidisciplinary collaboration, and engaging the workforce. "It empowers more employees to use and access content, making it easier to attract, retain, and develop employees with and without disabilities," said Potvin. "Creating environments that are accessible to everyone, regardless of ability, not only benefits people with disabilities but also fosters a more inclusive and innovative society," she added.
"Individuals with disabilities didn't just appear in society yesterday, and they didn't appear since the ADA was written into law. The battle for inclusion and accessibility has been fought for generations. My hope is that more people become aware of universal design and its benefits and that it will become the norm and there will be less hurdles for the disability community," Potvin concluded.
Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
Each nTIDE release is followed by an nTIDE Lunch & Learn online webinar. This live broadcast, hosted via Zoom Webinar, offers attendees Q&A on the latest nTIDE findings, provides news, updates from the field, and features invited panelists who discuss current disability-related findings and events.
