Disability, Intersectionality, and Inequity: Life at the Margins

An estimated 61 million Americans have a disability, a number that is likely to continue rising as the population ages. People with disabilities are perhaps the largest underserved population in the United States, experiencing numerous inequities in opportunities for healthy living, health care, and health outcomes. Disability affects people of every race, culture, economic class, gender, age, and geographic location. However, some population groups experience higher prevalence of disability than others. Moreover, these same population groups tend to experience greater health inequities, which may be further compounded by the presence of disability. As the U.S. population becomes increasingly diverse, public health efforts must encompass the full range of that diversity, including the ways in which disability intersects with characteristics such as race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, and rural residence.