Fair-Wages for People With Disabilities: Barriers and Facilitators

Abstract

Subminimum wage is a prominent and problematic issue affecting the lives of many people with disabilities. For this reason, the aim of this study was to identify the correlates of fair-wages (at least minimum wage) for people with disabilities—which factors facilitate and hinder people with disabilities’ access to fair-wages. We utilized Personal Outcome Measures® interview data from approximately 1,500 people with disabilities to examine how individual, employment, and organizational-level factors correlate with people with disabilities’ access to fair-wages. Binary logistic regression models revealed at the individual-level support needs, guardianship, and residence type all significantly correlate with people with disabilities’ odds of receiving fair-wages. In addition, the ability to experience a number of employment options, as well as decide where to work, produce higher odds of having fair-wages. Finally, our findings also revealed the key role service organizations can play in facilitating people with disabilities’ access to fair-wages. Attention to the facilitators that promote access to fair-wages for people with disabilities, and the barriers that hinder this access is one of the first steps toward ending this discrimination against people with disabilities.