CW: Institutional Bias
For me, one of the hardest parts of having cerebral palsy is the lack of resources for disabled people. Programs that are meant to help often fall short. Vocational rehabilitation, for example, exists nationwide to help disabled people find jobs.
In theory, that sounds promising. However, in reality, navigating vocational rehabilitation can feel like a confusing maze with no clear exit. When I worked with my local vocational rehabilitation office, there was high turnover and poor communication.
Across the country, vocational rehabilitation agencies are plagued with deep, systemic problems. Federal data shows that between 2010 and 2014, more than 800,000 disabled people who qualified for services never received them. Over a dozen states failed to provide services to more than 40% of eligible people. These numbers show a system that is overwhelmed, underfunded, and failing the very people it claims to support.
Building a life is often difficult for disabled people. Something as simple as finding housing can be a challenge. Many disabled people could live in their communities with the right help. Yet institutional bias is woven into healthcare, housing, and social services.
One clear example of this bias is the severe shortage of accessible housing in the United States. Apartment List conducted a study in February 2020 using data from the American Community Survey and the American Housing Survey. According to the study, only 9% of households with a disabled family member live in an accessible home. Even though more than 15% of American households have someone with a physical disability, just 6% of homes nationwide are accessible.
Much of the country’s housing was built before accessibility standards existed, and even new construction often lacks step-free entrances, wide doorways, and accessible bathrooms. As a result, disabled people face years-long waitlists for the few accessible housing options that exist. Many are stuck in nursing homes or hospitals simply because there is nowhere accessible for them to live. When housing itself is inaccessible, independence becomes impossible.
Receiving care at home is also hard due to staffing shortages and chronic underfunding. In the United States, Medicaid must pay for nursing home care, but Home- and Community-Based Services—the supports that allow people to stay in their homes and communities—are optional. This means states can cut HCBS programs whenever budgets get tight, leaving families constantly on the edge of crisis.
Hospitals meant for short-term care often end up being long-term care facilities when discharge planning fails. Nursing homes are seen as the “practical” solution. Unfortunately, once someone enters a nursing home or hospital, the system makes it very hard to leave.
The supports that should follow a person home—attendant care, accessible housing, transportation, case management—are often unavailable, inconsistent, or underfunded. Instead of being empowered to live independently, disabled people are pushed toward the easiest option for the system, not what truly supports their independence.
This creates an environment where disabled people are expected to live within and adapt to broken systems rather than those systems changing to meet their needs. People face endless paperwork, waitlists, and appeals. They must repeatedly prove that they deserve to live in their own homes, and make choices about their lives. The emotional toll of constantly fighting for human rights is exhausting.
What makes this even more frustrating is that we already know what works. When people receive the help they need, they thrive. They can work, attend school, pursue hobbies, build relationships, and contribute to their communities. They can live with dignity. The barriers disabled people face are not always inevitable—they stem from policy choices, funding priorities, and a long history of undervaluing disabled lives.
Until society understands that independence is not a luxury and that community living is a right, disabled people will remain trapped in systems that limit their potential. Often, the real challenge isn’t the disability itself—it’s navigating a world that still doesn’t grasp that disabled people deserve the same freedom, opportunities, and respect as everyone else.
Sources:
Kolodner, Meredith. “Problems Plague Vocational Rehabilitation.” Disability Scoop, Disability Scoop, 21 Sept. 2016, https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2016/09/21/problems-plague-voc-rehab/22777/.
Landergan, Katherine. “How a ‘broken’ Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Failed Disabled People.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cox Enterprises, 25 July 2024, http://www.ajc.com/news/investigations/how-a-broken-georgia-vocational-rehabilitation-agency-failed-disabled-people/ZY26EGBVPBHLPFLZOBGLT6KCXY/.
Woodruff, Judy, and Layla Quran. “People with Disabilities Face Extra Hurdles amid National Housing Shortage.” PBS NewsHour, Public Broadcasting Service, 27 Aug. 2024, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/show/people-with-disabilities-face-extra-hurdles-amid-national-housing-shortage.
Warnock, Rob. “How Accessible Is the Housing Market?” Apartment List , Apartment List, 19 February, 2020, http://www.apartmentlist.com/research/how-accessible-is-the-housing-market.