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Environmental Scan of Pathways to Economic Self-Sufficiency for People with Disabilities
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Environmental Scan of Pathways to Economic Self-Sufficiency for People with Disabilities

Published: Mar 24, 2026
Disability Economic Well Being and Income Support Employment and Training Health and Access to Care Transition to Adulthood Federal State and Local Research & Evaluation Policy Analysis

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Authors

Sarah Croake

Gina Livermore

Nicola Lowry

Key Findings

  • More than 35 programs provide income support, health insurance coverage, independent living services, and employment services to people with disabilities. However, the programs are largely disconnected, leaving people with disabilities and their families to navigate services and supports across federal, state, and local agencies. Youth ages 14-24 and people with less severe or recently improved disabilities face particular gaps.
  • Evidence that programs or specific program provisions increase the earnings and employment and reduce reliance on SSI and SSDI benefits among people with disabilities is mixed. 
  • Eligibility criteria and exit pathways vary across programs, with many requiring strict medical, income, and resource thresholds. Participants typically exit when earnings or resources exceed limits, conditions improve, or employment is sustained, though relatively few SSI and SSDI beneficiaries exit due to increased earnings.
  • Structural disincentives to work can be a barrier to economic self-sufficiency. Strict income and resource limits mean that participants risk losing cash benefits, and sometimes health insurance, if they increase their earnings. 
To better understand the vast landscape of policies and programs available to people with disabilities, including information about who the programs serve and how their rules may help or hinder participants’ progress toward economic self-sufficiency, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation commissioned this environmental scan. This report briefly describes the landscape of policies and programs supporting progress toward economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For this study, we defined economic self-sufficiency as not relying on the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs for income support. Progress toward economic self-sufficiency includes developing job skills, finding and maintaining employment, and increasing earnings. The report can serve as a resource to help policymakers and others identify gaps and opportunities for new strategies to help people with disabilities make progress toward economic self-sufficiency.  

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