United States Department of Labor

Women

Neither disability policies designed to ensure employment of people with disabilities nor policies aimed at gender equity in employment have recognized the specific employment barriers experienced by women with disabilities. The inequities are significant:

• Men with disabilities are more likely to be employed and have full-time jobs, and men with disabilities are almost twice as likely to have jobs than women with disabilities;
• Women with disabilities are also significantly poorer than men with disabilities, due partly to the fact they are more likely to be unemployed, and also that when they do work, they receive considerably lower wages than men with disabilities; and
• Disability affects women workers in their role as caregivers for family members who have a disability or who are elderly, as the majority of caregivers in the United States are women.

ODEP is committed to working on initiatives, partnerships, and programs that examine these issues and eliminating employment barriers for women with disabilities.

ODEP co-chairs the Federal Partners’ Committee on Women and Trauma with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services. Launched on April 1, 2009, this Committee developed as a work group within the Federal Partnership on Mental Health Transformation. This partnership was established by SAMHSA which was tasked to implement a Presidential Order calling for aggressive actions to develop policy and practice in many priority areas, including suicide prevention, employment, women, and youth in transition from school to work to name just a few. The Committee consists of representatives from more than 20 federal agencies and sub-agencies from the Departments of Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and others.

The following resources provide more information about women with disabilities:

• Women and Trauma: A Working Document — Highlights “trauma-informed care," a new approach to addressing trauma based on universal precautions and organizational sensitivities that provide important new tools for change. Published by the Federal Partners' Committee on Women and Trauma.
• Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: A Guide for Service Providers — Addresses the psychological and mental health needs of women veterans. Compiles best practices aimed at improving effectiveness in engaging female veterans and increasing re-entry outcomes. Funded by the DOL Women's Bureau.
• Workplaces Respond to Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse — Offers information for the benefit of those interested in providing effective workplace responses to victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence and stalking. Funded by the US Department of Justice's Office on Violence against Women.