“Today marks the first-ever Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day, created to shine a light on the extreme wage gap disabled women face in our country today. It is an outrage that overall, disabled women are paid just 50 cents for every dollar paid to nondisabled men. Because of structural racism, disabled women of color are paid even less: Black and Native disabled women are paid just 45 cents and Latina disabled women just 44 cents on the dollar paid to nondisabled White men. Disabled women should not lose half their income – or more – to wage discrimination. We need action, now, to end the wage inequities disabled women face.

“Progress requires facing our country’s long, shameful history of systemic ableism that persists today, trapping many disabled women in poverty. Too often, ableism is built into our policies. It is disgraceful that in 2024, it is still legal to pay disabled workers below the minimum wage. That must end. It’s also long past time to update the eligibility requirements for essential supports like Supplemental Security Income, which force many disabled women out of the workforce and into financial insecurity. Finally, we must psas the Home and Community-Based Services Access Act and invest in the care infrastructure we all need to live, work, and give and receive care in our communities –  because no one should be institutionalized simply because there are no affordable home- and community-based services. 

“Disabled women contribute tremendous value to families, communities and our economy and should be paid fairly. Moms are committed to rooting out every form of ableism, sexism and racism in our society. We will continue to raise our voices until we achieve fair pay for all.”