Help us draw attention to pay disparities on Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day, which takes place on Thursday, Oct. 23.
On average, disabled women must work 10 extra months into the new year to earn the same amount as nondisabled men. As a labor union, we cannot ignore this injustice. Equal pay is not just a gender or disability issue—it’s a workers’ right issue. This day aims to raise awareness about the economic disparities that disabled women experience due to a combination of ableism, sexism and workplace discrimination.
The wage gap is, in fact, wider at the intersections. Disabled women face one of the widest wage gaps in the American workforce. According to the latest data:
• Disabled women earn just 56 cents for every dollar earned by nondisabled men.
• Black and Latina disabled women earn even less—48 cents and 49 cents, respectively.
• This gap exists regardless of education level, experience, or occupation.
It’s not enough to negotiate wage increases that leave behind the most marginalized. Equal pay for disabled women must be a priority issue.
As a labor union, we commit to:
• Fighting for full pay transparency to expose and eliminate discriminatory wage practices.
• Bargaining for accessible workplaces, including reasonable accommodations without retaliation.
• Protecting against subminimum wages, which still legally allow some employers to pay disabled workers pennies on the dollar.
• Elevating the leadership of disabled women within our union and across worker-led campaigns.
• Demanding robust enforcement of ADA and disability rights protections, especially in hiring, promotion, and compensation in all workplaces we represent.
The observance of this day is a call to action for policymakers and advocates to address these inequities through legislative reforms and inclusive policies. Additional information about Disabled Women’s Equal Pay Day is available here.