Relational Inequality and the Structures that Disadvantage

This chapter reviews the different dimensions of disadvantage associated with disability while emphasizing the social structures that create and maintain such disadvantages. We review quantitative research demonstrating disadvantage in education, employment, income, wealth, and economic security, while noting the drawbacks of deficit accounts that fail to consider the structural dimensions of inequality. Drawing on relational inequality theory, we discuss how ableism, as an institution, supports the unequal distribution of status, resources, and opportunities around disability. We then provide examples of how ableism leads to disparities in higher education, employment, and wealth among people with disabilities, while also emphasizing potential paths for change within these organizations