Employment Outcomes among African American and White Women with Disabilities: Examining the Inequalities

Compared to individuals without disabilities, those with disabilities experience inequalities in finding and sustaining employment that are more profound among women and minorities. The purpose of this study is to examine differences in employment outcomes for African American and white women with disabilities who received vocational rehabilitation (VR) services. The VR data that this study used included 18,602 women, 18–65 years old at entry into the VR system in a Midwestern state. Using logistic regression analyses, we found that, compared to white women, African American women had lower odds of employment. Middle-aged women were more likely to find jobs than were younger women, and women of both racial groups who received SSI/SSDI were less likely to be employed. Finally, VR services were significantly associated with employment for both races. We discuss the need to examine VR policies and practices to improve employment outcomes of African American women with disabilities.