Economic wellbeing and life satisfaction among working and non-working adults with disabilities

Background: Working-age adults with disabilities in the US are more than twice as likely to live in poverty as those without disabilities; poverty rates are greater among non-working people with disabilities compared to those who work. Poverty-associated stress compounds the challenges faced daily by people living with disability. Methods: We examined satisfaction with finances, worries about meeting monthly expenses, and overall life satisfaction among working and non-working adults with disabilities using a 2010 Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) follow-up survey of working-age adults with disabilities (n=882). The MA BRFSS Disability and Employment Follow-Up Survey gathered information on work participation, work-related barriers and multiple dimensions of economic wellbeing among people with disabilities. Results: Thirty-seven percent of survey respondents with disabilities reported currently working. Logistic regression analyses showed that, controlling for demographic variables (age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status and education), health status, need for personal or routine care, and insurance status, working respondents were significantly more likely to report satisfaction with finances (OR=1.99, 95% CI=1.07-3.72) and significantly less likely to report being worried about meeting expenses (OR=0.37, 95% CI=0.19-0.68) than non-working respondents. Having private vs. public insurance was also significantly associated with satisfaction with finances; poorer health and the need for personal or routine care were significantly associated with worrying about meeting expenses. Employment was not significantly related to overall life satisfaction. Conclusions: Employment contributes to enhanced economic well-being and decreased financial worries among people with disabilities. Implications of finding for services for people with disabilities will be discussed.