Despite involving more than half of the world's population, women's issues are often ignored by researchers.  Women with disabilities face particularly substantial barriers to independent living. They're often poorer, in worse health, less-educated and more dependent on government social service programs than others. 

Women living in rural areas face limited access to employment and economic opportunities, limited transportation options, scarce or unaffordable housing, and lack of access to health care providers who are knowledgeable about disabilities (Seekins et al., 1998).

Women with disabilities constitute approximately 8% of the total U.S. population, with approximately 26% of women with disabilities living in rural areas. Table 1 shows the number of women with, and without, disabilities living in rural and urban areas (1995 estimates based on 1990 census data). ¹

Description of Table 1

Table 1   Estimates for 1995: Total Number of Females With and Without Disabilities
	With Disability Urban	With Disability Rural	Without Disability Urban	Without Disability Rural	Total
16-64	6,414,506	2,008,436	60,638,283	16,149,358	85,210,583
65 +	5,058,498	1,936,269	8,664,452	2,804,012	18,463,231
Total by Category	11,473,004	3,944,705	69,302,735	18,953,370	103,673,814

Employment and Income Issues:

Description of Chart 1.

Chart 1 illustrates that people with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed than people without disabilities. For all people with disabilities, living in a rural area significantly increases the probability of unemployment. Rural women with disabilities are approximately three times less likely to be employed (27%) than rural women without disabilities. In comparison, rural men with disabilities are approximately two times less likely to be employed (38%) than men without disabilities. Clearly, rural women with disabilities are the least likely to be employed of these groups.

Unemployment is synonymous with poverty, and not surprisingly, poverty is severe for women with disabilities. Tables 2 and 3 describe the relationships between gender, place of residence, disability, and level of income for people between the ages of 16 and 64 (1995 estimates based on 1990 census data) . Urban men without disabilities fare the best. People with disabilities, both urban and rural, frequently have incomes at or below 100% of the 1995 federal poverty level of $7,740 (Federal Register, 1996). Rural women with disabilities, however, are the "poorest of the poor" -- 80.51% make less than $10,000 a year.

Description of Table 2

Table 2  Estimates for 1995: Percent by Income Category of People WITH DisabilitiesAges 16-64
Income *	Females Urban	Females Rural	Males Urban	Males Rural
Under 10,000	70.16%	80.51%	45.58%	52.65%
10,000 - 19,999	17.79%	14.08%	22.20%	23.77%
20,000 - 49,999	11.15%	5.09%	26.80%	20.85%
50,000 +	0.90%	0.32%	5.42%	2.73%
Total Number Represented	6,414,506	2,008,436	6,646,778	2,264,817

Description of Table 3

Table 3 Estimates for 1995: Percent by Income Category People WITHOUT Disabilities, Ages 16-64
Income *	Females Urban	Females Rural	Males Urban	Males Rural
Under 10,000	49.13%	60.98%	25.12%	29.34%
10,000 - 19,999	23.97%	25.03%	18.80%	24.75%
20,000 - 49,999	24.56%	13.33%	41.90%	39.21%
50,000 +	2.34%	0.66%	14.18%	6.70%
Total Number Represented	60,638,283	16,149,358	56,919,706	15,169,060

* [Income is defined as: wage or salary, net self-employment earnings, interest, dividends, net rental or royalty, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement, public assistance or welfare, retirement or disability, and all other income. Categories are based on 1990 Census estimates.]

Tables 4 and 5 describe the relationships between gender, place of residence, disability and level of income for people 65 and over (1995 estimates based on 1990 census data). Again, older women with disabilities living in rural areas experience the most severe poverty.

Description of Table

Table 4  Estimates for 1995: Percent by Income Category of People WITH Disabilities, Age 65 +
Income * (1990 dollars)	Females Urban	Females Rural	Males Urban	Males Rural
Under 10,000	72.68%	80.82%	39.93%	53.06%
10,000 - 19,999	18.41%	13.94%	33.58%	29.87%
20,000 - 49,999	7.66%	4.66%	21.93%	14.85%
50,000 +	1.25%	0.59%	4.56%	2.22%
Total Number Represented	5,058,498	1,936,269	3,298,167	1,449,011

Description of Table 5

Table 5 Estimates for 1995: Percent by Income Category People WITHOUT Disabilities, Age 65 +
Income * (1999 dollars)	Females Urban	Females Rural	Males Urban	Males Rural
Under 10,000	59.78%	69.40%	23.56%	33.69%
10,000 - 19,999	23.80%	20.59%	31.94%	34.77%
20,000 - 49,999	14.12%	8.93%	33.19%	25.86%
50,000 +	2.30%	1.08%	11.31%	5.69%
Total Number Represented	8,664,452	2,804,012	6,026,046	1,997,060

Safety Issues:

Women with, and without, disabilities face an equally high prevalence of abuse and violence. However, women with physical disabilities experience abuse of longer duration and have fewer options than urban women for leaving an abusive situation, due to limited transportation; few (if any) rural women's shelters; and significantly less education.  (Nosek et al., 1997)

Health Issues:

Women with disabilities also face challenging barriers to health care. Montana women with disabilities have described limited access to these important health care services: 

1. Obstetrical care providers with knowledge about specific disabilities;
2. Screening procedures with accessible mammography and pelvic exam equipment; and
3. Adequate fertility control services and health information, especially regarding sexuality.
   (Szalda-Petree, Unpublished focus group testimony, 1995).

Prevention is also important to women with disabilities, since significantly more women with disabilities report urinary tract infections, depression, osteoporosis, restrictive lung disease, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, seizure disorders, and kidney disease than able bodied women (Nosek et al., 1997). Most of these secondary conditions are at least partially preventable.

University of Montana researchers found that men and women with mobility impairments experience an average of 14 secondary conditions per year. Table 6 lists the 10 secondary conditions most often experienced by women in our sample. In general, rural and urban women with mobility impairments experienced similar amounts of limitation due to secondary conditions.

Description of Table 6.

Table 6  Top Ten Secondary Conditions Experienced by Women with Mobility Impairments
Secondary Conditions	# Reporting Condition	% of Women
1. Mobility Problems	249	80%
2. Fatigue	225	72%
3. Joint/Muscle Pain	219	70%
4. Poor Physical Conditioning	216	69%
5. Chronic Pain	194	62%
6. Access Problems	193	62%
7. Arthritis	190	61%
8. Sleep Problems	175	56%
9. Contractures	169	54%
10. Depression	167	54%

Conclusion:

Women with disabilities face a wide range of obstacles to independent living, including limited employment opportunities, poverty, barriers to health care, limitation due to secondary conditions, and abuse. This may be exacerbated in rural areas due to lower levels of education, limited opportunities, and isolation. Our goals are to understand why this situation exists and how to remove these obstacles.

¹ These Census-based estimates do not directly correspond to those reported by Jans & Stoddard (1999), whose data were based on the Survey of Income and Program Participation.

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For more information, contact:

Craig Ravesloot, Ph.D.

New Directions for Living Well Program
RTC on Disability in Rural Communities
The University of Montana Rural Institute: A Center for
Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Services 
52 Corbin Hall, Missoula, MT 59812-7056 
(888) 268-2743
(406) 543-9356
(406) 243-2349 fax 
email the Rural Institute

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Resources:

Center for Research on Women with Disabilities
Dept. of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Baylor College of Medicine
3440 Richmond Ave., Ste B
Houston, TX 77046
Phone: 713-960-0505
Fax: 713-961-3555
email center for research

Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission
1501 N. University, Ste 400
Little Rock, AR 72207-5233
Ph: 501-296-1784
(V) 501-296-1794(TT)
Fax: 501-296-1787

Breast Health Access for Women with Disabilities
2001 Dwight Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
Ph: 510-204-4866

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References

Federal Register (3/4/96) 61(43), Pp. 8286 - 8288.
Jans, L. & Stoddard, S. (1999). Chartbook on Women and Disability in the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. Of Education, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Nosek, M., Howland, C., Young, M. (1997). Abuse of women with disabilities: Policy implications. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 8: 157-176.

Nosek, M., Rintala, D., Young, M. (1997). National study of women with physical disabilities. Houston: Baylor College of Medicine, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities.

Ravesloot, C., Young, Q., Norris, K., et al. (1998). Living Well With a Disability. Missoula: University of Montana, Rural Institute on Disabilities.

Seekins, T., Innes, B., & Maxson, N. (1998). An Update on The Demography of Disability. Missoula: University of Montana, Rural Institute on Disabilities.

Thierry, J. M., (1998). Promoting the health and wellness of women with disabilities. Journal of Women's Health, 7 (5).

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This publication was prepared by Ann Szalda-Petree, Tom Seekins and Bill Innes and is funded by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education grant #H133B70017-01.   It is available in Braille, large print and text formats on request. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Education.

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