Written by: Sally Fish
Since the early 1960s, particularly following the deinstitutionalization of Americans with disabilities, disability justice has emerged as a vital social justice movement—one that examines disability and ableism in relation to other systems of oppression, including race, class, and gender.[1]
Housing is a key area where disability justice is often obstructed—particularly at the intersection of ableism and classism.[2] The severe shortage of accessible, affordable housing forces many people with disabilities into unnecessary institutionalization, perpetuating a cycle of exclusion and injustice. But this problem is far more complex than just housing discrimination or a low market supply of accessible homes; it is the result of an accumulation of laws and policies that deprioritize community integration, limit funding for home modifications and supportive services, and failure to enforce accessibility standards in both public and private development(s). These systemic failures reinforce segregation and deny people with disabilities the autonomy and dignity of choosing where and how they live.
How can we Advance Disability Justice in Housing?
For over 100 years, The Ability Center of Greater Toledo has championed inclusive housing policies that support the rights and needs of people with disabilities. While meaningful progress has been made, the demand continues to grow; and far too many community members with disabilities are still being left out of the community-based opportunities and experiences that should be accessible to all.
The barriers to accessible housing are not insurmountable; but, addressing them requires collective action beyond the disability community alone. Together, we can reimagine the housing landscape. In this blog, we will discuss how advocating for proper data collection on accessibility and housing will advance a more inclusive and equitable housing framework in America and our home state of Ohio.
Data Collection on Disability and Accessibility in Housing
Data collection concerning accessibility features and the availability of accessible homes and multifamily units in America is incredibly limited. Housing organizations and agencies often fail to include comprehensive disability demographics in their reports, or they restrict the scope of data collection so narrowly that it becomes impossible to determine the true availability of accessible housing for people with disabilities in a given area. As a result, agencies are often left to either piece together insights using research from other regions—which often does not reflect local realities—or rely solely on internal data that is often incomplete.
In 2021, the National Disability Rights Network released a report titled “Count Everyone, Include Everyone,” which highlights the critical importance of accurate, inclusive data collection and identifies major gaps in current federal systems.[3] The report found that there is no uniform federal standard in housing-related surveys for what qualifies as an “accessible” home—making it nearly impossible to accurately assess how much of the nation’s housing stock truly meets the needs of people with disabilities.[4] Additionally, the limited representation of people with disabilities in planning surveys and other data-gathering tools has led to policies, programs, and infrastructure that routinely overlook their priorities.[5]
As the report notes, “Despite the central role that housing plays in the lives of people with disabilities, data systems frequently fail to capture whether housing is accessible, affordable, or available to disabled individuals. This lack of data impairs the ability of policymakers and advocates to understand housing disparities and enforce civil rights protections.” The continued exclusion of disability data not only limits effective policymaking—it actively reinforces barriers to accessible, community-based housing.
Building Better Data: The Role of Local Communities in Strengthening Accessibility Data Collection
Changing federal processes to improve data collection for individuals with disabilities in the housing sector can feel daunting. While continued advocacy is essential for keeping momentum, it can often seem overwhelming or even impossible. However, the path to more accurate and consistent data on housing accessibility can begin at the local level. By focusing efforts on local data improvements, we can build a foundation that influences broader, systemic change.
Local communities have a unique power to drive this change. Through grassroots efforts, they can advocate for better data collection methods that more accurately reflect the housing needs of people with disabilities. By engaging local governments, housing organizations and agencies, and advocacy groups, communities can collect critical accessibility data that will eventually lead to more solutions to the accessible, affordable, and community-based housing crisis here in Ohio and across the nation.
Want to get Involved with Disability Rights Advocacy?
Contact your Legislators about Potential Cuts to Medicaid Expansion for Ohioans with Disabilities!
Tens of thousands of Ohioans with disabilities rely on Medicaid expansion (Group VIII) to access basic healthcare, maintain stability, and remain out of institutions. This includes family caregivers, people with disabilities who work part-time, and others who fall outside traditional Medicaid eligibility but still live with real health needs.
Eliminating this coverage would:
• Force many caregivers to abandon their roles and seek other jobs to afford health insurance—leaving loved ones without essential in-home supports.
• Push people with disabilities into institutional care settings.
• Undermine employment, education, and health outcomes for people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid to manage chronic conditions and maintain independence.
Contact your Senators today and ask the committee to amend the “trigger” provision, replacing “shall” with “may” to ensure flexibility for Ohio to respond to federal changes.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/contact-your-legislators-about-potential-cuts-to-medicaid-expansion?source=direct_link&
[1] Valentino, Katie. “Disability Justice Isn’t Possible without Housing Justice.” Urban Institute, 26 July 2023, https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/disability-justice-isnt-possible-without-housing-justice. Accessed 2 May 2025.
[2] Valentino, Katie. “Disability Justice Isn’t Possible without Housing Justice.” Urban Institute, 26 July 2023, https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/disability-justice-isnt-possible-without-housing-justice. Accessed 2 May 2025.
[3] National Disability Rights Network. Count Everyone, Include Everyone: The Need for Disability Inclusion and Representation in Federal Data. Oct. 2021, https://www.ndrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NDRN_Count_Everyone_Include_Everyone_2021.pdf.
[4] National Disability Rights Network. Count Everyone, Include Everyone: The Need for Disability Inclusion and Representation in Federal Data. Oct. 2021, https://www.ndrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NDRN_Count_Everyone_Include_Everyone_2021.pdf.
[5] National Disability Rights Network. Count Everyone, Include Everyone: The Need for Disability Inclusion and Representation in Federal Data. Oct. 2021, https://www.ndrn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NDRN_Count_Everyone_Include_Everyone_2021.pdf.
