Improving Health Outcomes for Black Women and Girls With Disabilities

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Studies show that people with disabilities are more likely than people without disabilities to report having poorer health and less access to adequate health care.¹ This is especially true for women and girls of color with disabilities, who face inequalities because of their disability status, race, and gender.² The systemic and structural barriers faced by Black disabled women and girls in the health care system stem from a legacy of slavery, ongoing anti-Black racism, and ableism.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated those inequalities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black Americans are dying from COVID-19 at nearly twice the rate of white Americans and have hospitalization rates that are nearly three times higher.³ People with disabilities are also disproportionately contracting and dying from COVID-19.⁴

Data are more limited for people with intersecting identities. Specifically, there are insufficient data on the impact of COVID-19 on women—and even less on Black women and still less for Black women with disabilities. According to a study from January 2021,⁵ U.S...