About this Report

Across Connecticut, 1 in 4 adults are currently living with some form of disability. The disability community, which includes those reporting difficulty with cognition, vision, hearing, mobility, self care, or independent living, is not monolithic. Disability affects people’s lives in many ways, and Connecticut adults with disabilities can experience significant well-being disparities compared to those without disabilities.

These disparities arise from societal failures to adequately meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. Further, this brief is being written in the political context of rollbacks on previous policy wins across the spectrum for vulnerable groups. Federal funding for social programs has been deeply cut, a move that will disproportionately impact community members with disabilities. A detailed review of the racist and eugenicist history of systematic marginalization directed at people with disabilities is outside of the scope of this brief, and we encourage readers to seek out further resources to understand this community more holistically. A nonexhaustive suggested reading list is available in the appendix of this document.

This report explores data on the experience of adults with disabilities in Connecticut from the DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey (DCWS). The DCWS illuminates major gaps in economic well-being, health, and health care access between adults with and without disabilities in Connecticut. The DCWS also reveals worse self-reported outcomes for people with disabilities across other indicators related to quality of life, both at the individual and community level.