Every October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) reminds us of the progress made—and the inequities that remain—for disabled people in the workforce. This year’s observance is not just about raising awareness; it is about pushing for structural change. While we celebrate the contributions of disabled workers across industries, we must also confront the systemic barriers that continue to deny fair wages, equal opportunities, and true economic justice.
Disabled People in the Workforce Today
Disabled people are the largest minority group in the United States, yet we remain among the most excluded from full participation in the workforce. In 2023, the employment rate for disabled people was just 22.5%, compared to 65% for nondisabled people.¹ This nearly 43-point gap has persisted for decades despite the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, which legally prohibited employment discrimination.
But numbers only tell part of the story. Disabled workers are more likely to hold part-time positions, work in jobs without benefits, and earn significantly lower wages than nondisabled peers.¹ For Black and Brown disabled people, the disparities widen even further. Systemic racism intersects with ableism, creating compounded barriers that make securing, keeping, and advancing in jobs even harder. Disabled women of color are disproportionately pushed into low-wage industries and denied access to leadership opportunities. This reality challenges the dominant narrative that “any job” is progress—when the jobs available to many disabled people do not provide pathways to economic stability.
The Subminimum Wage Debate
One of the clearest examples of economic exclusion is the continued use of the subminimum wage under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Passed in 1938, this provision was initially framed as a way to create opportunities for disabled workers. Instead, it institutionalized a two-tiered system where disabled people could legally be paid cents on the dollar for their labor. Workers in sheltered workshops—segregated, non-competitive work settings—can still legally earn as little as $2 or $3 per hour.²
In 2021, the Biden Administration proposed phasing out this program, reflecting a national push toward competitive, integrated employment. Disability rights advocates hailed this as a step toward equity, dignity, and justice. Yet in July 2025, the Department of Labor withdrew the proposal, claiming it lacked the statutory authority to eliminate the subminimum wage.² This decision represents a missed opportunity for federal leadership on disability employment.
The persistence of Section 14(c) sends a harmful message: that disabled people’s labor is worth less. It reinforces outdated ideas that disabled people are incapable of contributing fully, while ignoring the structural barriers—like inaccessible workplaces, lack of accommodations, and bias in hiring—that keep many disabled people out of jobs that pay fair wages.
Fortunately, states and local governments are showing what is possible. Several states, including Alaska, Maryland, and Vermont, have eliminated subminimum wages, and others have passed legislation to phase them out.² These efforts prove that ending discriminatory labor practices is not only achievable but necessary. The question is not whether disabled workers can thrive in competitive employment, but whether our systems will commit to ensuring they have the resources and opportunities to do so.
Economic Justice and Disability Employment
Economic justice is broader than access to a paycheck. It is about creating conditions where people can live with dignity, build stability, and invest in their futures. For disabled people, economic justice requires dismantling the systemic inequities that keep us from equal participation. It means:
- Ending exploitative practices such as subminimum wages, sheltered workshops, and employment programs that segregate disabled workers.²
- Expanding access to competitive, integrated employment that pays a living wage and provides benefits like health insurance and retirement savings.¹
- Ensuring workplace accessibility, including not just physical accommodations but also flexible work structures, remote work options, and inclusive technology.
- Confronting intersectional inequities, especially for Black, Brown, immigrant, and LGBTQIA+ disabled workers who face racism, xenophobia, and homophobia on top of ableism in hiring and advancement.
- Addressing poverty and benefits cliffs, where disabled people risk losing essential supports like healthcare or housing assistance if they earn “too much,” creating a cycle of economic precarity.
Without these changes, the employment gap will remain entrenched, and economic justice will stay out of reach for millions.
A Call to Action
National Disability Employment Awareness Month must move beyond celebration into action. Employers, policymakers, and community members all have a role to play:
- Employers must commit to not only hiring disabled workers but also ensuring advancement opportunities, equitable pay, and supportive work environments.
- Policymakers must end subminimum wages at the federal level and strengthen protections that promote inclusive, competitive employment.²
- Community members and advocates must continue raising awareness, amplifying the voices of disabled workers, and demanding accountability from institutions.
The fight for disability employment is, at its core, a fight for economic justice. It is about dismantling a labor system that has historically excluded disabled people and replacing it with one that values our contributions, invests in our futures, and honors our right to thrive.
This NDEAM, let’s not settle for awareness. Let’s demand equity. Let’s demand justice. And let’s work toward a future where disabled workers—especially those at the intersections of race, class, gender, and disability—are not just included in the workforce, but leading it.
You can download our accompanying resource guide here.
Sources
“Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics—2023.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 26 Feb. 2024, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm.
“DOL Withdraws Biden-Era Proposal To End Subminimum Wage Program for Disabled Workers.” Center for Workplace Compliance, 15 July 2025, https://cwc.org/CWC/CWC/Updates/2025/DOL-Withdraws-Biden-Era-Proposal-To-End-Subminimum-Wage-Program-for-Disabled-Workers.aspx.
