What's A Leg Got To Do With It?: Black, Female and Disabled in America

Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Author: 
Donna R. Walton

Over a decade ago, Eddie Glenn called attention to the disparate treatment of African American women with disabilities, suggesting that a triple jeopardy syndrome puts them at a further disadvantage because they are victims of race, gender, and disability bias in our society. Her research explored what it means to be an African American and live with a disability. She also found that African American women with disabilities contribute disproportionately to the population of under educated American women and are least likely to have a high school diploma, do not vigorously participate in the labor force because of the severity of the disability, and are least likely to be married or living in a family arrangement. The impact of triple jeopardy, she found, is observed in several aspects of the lives of African American women with disabilities, including support and family relationships, education, participation in the rehabilitation process, and employment and income.

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