1. There are more than 4 million adults with disabilities under age 65 who live below the poverty line. This represents over 28% of adults with disabilities under age 65.

2. The 2006 poverty rate for adults with disabilities is nearly three times greater than the poverty rate for adults without disabilities (25.3% vs. 9.2%).

3. In 2006, the $633 national average rent for studio and efficiency apartments was more than the entire $603 monthly SSI check received by low income persons with disabilities and intended to cover all their living expenses.

4. In 1998 SSI payments represented about 24.4% of the national median income. By 2006 the value of an SSI check dropped to only 18.2% of the national median income, and 25% below the federal poverty level.

5. Adults with disabilities comprise well over half of the people with low incomes (under 200% of the poverty level) who reported significant hardships (couldn’t pay rent or mortgage, food insecurity and hunger, didn’t get needed medical and dental care) in 1998.

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1 Houtenville, A. J., Erickson, W. A., Lee, C. G. (2005, April 4). Disability Statistics from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics (StatsRRTC). Retrieved September 13, 2008 from www.disabilitystatistics.org

2 2006 American Community Survey

3 O’Hara, A., Cooper, E., Zovistoski, A., Buttrick, J. (2007) Priced Out in 2006: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities. Technical Assistance Collaborative, Inc., Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Housing Task Force,. Retrieved September 13, 2008 from http://www.tacinc.org/Docs/HH/PricedOutIn2006.pdf

4 Ibid.

5 She, P. and G. Livermore (2006). Material Hardship, Poverty, and Disability among Working-Age Adults. Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University.