People with blindness and low vision are plagued by the high cost of living – new research – Insurance News

A young blind man prepares to board an RTD light rail train in Denver in 2019. Robert Alexander/GettyImages

Colin Wonga blind Ph.D. student, cannot forget that he has to pay 100 dollars for an Uber when he had to take a standardized test. There was no testing center in it San Franciscowhere he lived, who could accommodate his disability.

That kind of expensive hassle is not unusual. It costs almost $7,000 more per year to get into the US with his disability, research that I, a social worker, conducted with four experts from the American Foundation for the Blind – a non-profit organization committed to promoting equality and inclusion for people with blindness or low vision.

For our research, we looked at survey data from a representative sample of Americans, focusing on how people with visual impairments responded. We considered anyone who said they had a visual impairment – ​​or said they had a lot of trouble seeing or couldn’t see at all, even with glasses – as having low vision or blindness.

We calculated that people with blindness or low vision spend on average 27% of their household income on expenses related to their disability – approximately $7,000 per year.

Low-income Americans with disabilities bear an even greater burden. The people who completed this survey and earned less than $25,000 per year said they spend an average of about 40% of their income on costs related to their disability, compared to 16% for people with higher incomes.

This leaves them with less money for other essentials, such as food and housing. About 1 in 4 of people surveyed said they were spending less on food to cover expenses related to their disability.

And about 2 in 3 of people surveyed said they often go without the goods and services they need, including medical care, assistive technologies and transportation to get to school or work.

Why it matters

According to a recent Gallup survey, cost of living issues top the list of concerns for all Americans. And people with disabilities, including those with physical or mental health problems, typically have more trouble making ends meet than the average person.

That includes the approximately 7 million Americans with blindness or vision loss, who are among the more than 1 in 4 people in this country with disabilities.

One reason for the higher cost of living is that people with disabilities tend to incur many other additional expenses, such as spending more on transportation, prepared foods, and grocery delivery services. Others struggle to afford the prescription drugs and supplements they need.

Politicians and policymakers seem to be paying more attention to this problem, which my research team calls the “disability squeeze.” Vice President Kamala Harrisfor example announced in October 2024 a proposal to expand Medicare to cover long-term care needs for older adults and people with disabilities.

Denise Chamberlin and her guide dog, Ridley, come from a Toronto metro station. AP Photo/Business Wire

What is still not known

Our study included 288 people who were blind or partially sighted. Studies with larger numbers of participants could vastly expand what is known about this problem and what can be done about it.

Expanding accessible public transportation, making assistive technologies more affordable, and increasing disability benefits may be enough to give some people with disabilities the opportunity to thrive, but not for others.

Future research could shed brighter light on the cracks in the US health and social security systems. For example, researchers could explore why people with health insurance through Medicaid or Medicare told us they had more unmet needs, rather than fewer, than those with coverage through private insurers. Other studies could examine how long-term disability impacts the health and employment of people with disabilities.

The Research Brief is a short version of interesting academic work.

Zachary Morris’ the research presented here is funded from the National Institute for the DisabledIndependent living, and Rehabilitation researchpart of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents of this survey do not necessarily represent the policy of the federal government or any government agency.