Chapter 1: Shifting Landscapes: Demographic Trends Among Workers With Disabilities

The future of work for people with disabilities will be shaped, in part, by the demographic characteristics of workers. By analyzing data from the American Community Survey for each year between 2008 and 2022, we find that the workforce of people with disabilities is increasingly comprised of the “ADA generation,” is more ethnically diverse, and includes a higher percentage of people with post–high school degrees than the disability workforce 15 years ago. These changing demographic characteristics influence the nature of jobs for which individuals with disabilities qualify for and shape the organizational cultures and accommodations they demand. The findings underscore the need for a nuanced approach to inclusion, one that acknowledges the interconnectedness of disability, age, education, race, and ethnicity.