Double discrimination: The intersectionality of disability and race

By Kaylie Foster

Everyone lives with various social identities, such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status. People often see others’ social identities and make conscious or unconscious assumptions about what a person is like based on how they present to the world. Disability is one such social identity that may lead others to view someone as having different abilities and needs.

Scholars suggest that while impediments are physical, the concept of ability versus disability is a social construct. People with disabilities often receive extra attention because of their impairment, while they are paradoxically left out of certain social arenas due to their disability status. Over-attention and lack of access complicate the lives of people with disabilities [1].

Social identities do not operate in isolation, though, as a person’s various social identities can collide to alter their experiences. This concept, referred to as intersectionality, suggests that identities are always in flux; however, the relationship between identities can allow society to advantage or disadvantage people in hierarchical terms [1]. When someone is of a minority race, they will have a different experience than a white person with a disability.

All too often, people with disabilities face further disadvantages when they are of a minority race or ethnic group. People of color with disabilities may have a more difficult time accessing quality medical care and education, are more likely to struggle with employment, and are more likely to be met with force in interactions with law enforcement. Although each person’s experience with social identity is nuanced, it is essential to acknowledge areas where certain social groups are consistently underserved.

People of color with disabilities regularly experience problems accessing healthcare. In Rhode Island and Connecticut, roughly 30% of Hispanic people with disabilities cannot afford regular doctor’s visits compared to 15-20% of white people with disabilities. Additionally, people of color with disabilities are less likely than white people with disabilities to have a primary care provider and are more likely to report poor mental and physical health [2].

Michigan’s Department of Civil Rights reports that Black people with disabilities were more vulnerable to COVID-19 due to underlying health issues, more likely to live in places with inadequate access to COVID-19 testing materials, and more likely to live in places where COVID-19 cases were highest [3].

According to Boston Medical Center, one-third of Black and Hispanic people with disabilities have skipped going to the doctor because of high costs. Black and Hispanic people with disabilities are more likely to experience cost limitations, poor patient-provider communication, and culturally inappropriate care [4].

Minorities with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) generally have worse health outcomes than white people with IDD. Minorities have less access to routine care, community services, and disability benefits. The mortality rate among Black people with IDD is higher than white people with IDD, and Black people with Down Syndrome have a lower life expectancy than white people with Down Syndrome. Black and Hispanic people with autism deal with lower-quality healthcare, delayed diagnoses, and less access to disability services [5].

In schools, minority children are more likely to be misidentified or misplaced, meaning they receive inaccurate disability diagnoses and services, harming their growth as students. For example, black children with behavioral issues are often misdiagnosed with ADHD when they actually have autism [6].

Disability diagnoses in schools may lead teachers to use microaggressions and stereotypes based on their implicit biases – the unconscious attitudes people hold against certain social groups. Implicit bias can cause teachers to use different language, teaching styles, and grading practices with students with disabilities depending on their race or ethnicity [6].

Children are disproportionately diagnosed with certain disabilities based on their race and face different education outcomes. Asian students are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, and disabled Asian students are more likely to receive their high school diploma than other disabled minorities. Black children are more commonly diagnosed with intellectual disabilities or emotional disturbance and receive disciplinary removal more often than other children with disabilities. Native American and Alaska Native students with disabilities are more likely to attend class less than 40% of the time and more likely to drop out of school [6].

One in four Black boys and one in five Black girls with disabilities receive out-of-school suspension as punishment, the highest among all racial groups. Additionally, only 57% of Black students with disabilities graduate high school, compared to 75% of Black students who do not have a disability [3].

Black Americans with disabilities more frequently struggle with employment and are more likely to live in poverty. Only 29% of Black Americans with disabilities are employed, compared to 72% of Black Americans with no disabilities. While only 22% of able-bodied Black Americans live below the poverty line, 40% of Black Americans with disabilities do [3]. This may be because of racial disparities in access to services that help people prepare for employment, such as education and vocational training [7].

Black Americans with disabilities are more frequently subjected to the use of force by law enforcement due to racial profiling and an inability to understand police officers. A deaf person or someone with a mental or cognitive disability may not understand a police officer’s demands, and their poor response may lead to an officer using force. Black Americans with disabilities are disproportionately affected by unnecessarily violent or fatal encounters with law enforcement [3].

Disabled Black Americans encounter higher poverty rates, higher risks of violence and abuse, and are disproportionately incarcerated. Racial minorities with disabilities meet more challenges when voting, too. In the case of Texas, Black and Hispanic voters with disabilities were disproportionately disenfranchised due to a bill passed in 2021 [8].

To keep racism from aggravating challenges for people with disabilities, we must first become aware of personal implicit biases, especially in areas such as healthcare and education. Checking bias on an individual level can help people be more conscious, accepting, and helpful to people with different social identities. Additionally, increasing training and culturally sensitive education across professions can lead to a more inclusive environment for all people with disabilities, especially those in minority groups.

Sources

[1] Wickenden, M. (2023, August 10). Disability and other identities?-how do they intersect?.             Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10449449/

[2] Ho, S., Simpson, G., & Mitra, M. (2019, March). The intersectionality between disability and Race. Health Needs Assessment in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. https://heller.brandeis.edu/lurie/pdfs/policy-briefs/intersections-disability-race.pdf

[3] State of Michigan. (2025). The intersectionality of race and disability. Department of Civil Rights. https://www.michigan.gov/mdcr/newsletter/the-intersectionality-of-race-and-disability

[4] Editors, H. (2024, August 19). People of color with disabilities face double discrimination. https://healthcity.bmc.org/people-color-disabilities-face-double-discrimination/

[5] Gilela, S., & Perkins, E. A. (2022). A primer on health disparities in people with Intellectual and developmental disabilities from racial/ethnic minorities, Physician’s fact sheet. Florida Center for Inclusive Communities.

[6] Álvarez, B. (2024, April 16). Disproportionality in special education fueled by implicit bias. NEAToday. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/disproportionality-special-education-fueled-implicit-bias

[7] Gould, R., Mullin, C., & Parker Harris, S. (2021). Race, disability, and Employment. Adata. https://adata.org/sites/adata.org/files/files/Race_Disability_and_Employment_FINAL.pdf

[8] Wright, M. (2025, August 22). A shared struggle for Equality: Disability Rights and racial justice. Legal Defense Fund. https://www.naacpldf.org/disability-rights-and-racial-justice/#:~:text=All%20of%20the%20systemic%20issues,disabilities%20in%20decision%2Dmaking%20processes.