Leading the Way, or Falling Behind? What the Data Tell Us about Disability Pay Equity and Opportunity in Boston and Other Top Metropolitan Areas

The Ruderman Family Foundation in partnership with the American Institute for Research (AIR) and the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) created two research briefs that inform the business community in Boston and several other top metropolitan areas about the challenges faced by workers with disabilities and the contributions that disability-diversity can make to the workforce. In this research brief, through an examination of 2017 American Community Survey data on working-age adults with disabilities ages 15 to 64, the authors quantify the pay gap between workers with and without disabilities in the Boston metropolitan area. Despite historically forward-thinking state policies and antidiscrimination laws, the Boston metropolitan area (Boston Metro) shows greater inequalities than other comparable metro areas in the United States. How can Massachusetts continue to be a leader and Boston to be a source of economic strength when close to 8% of the working-age population has disabilities and they lack opportunities to earn a fair and comparable wage like their nondisabled peers? The challenge to Boston-area businesses in particular is to create a legacy of leadership that is disability-diverse and inclusive of everyone who has the skills and required education to contribute to an increasingly competitive national economy. [This report was prepared in partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation.]