ALICE in Focus – People with Disabilities
With a mission to advance the education, health, and financial stability of all people, United Way of Treasure Valley is committed to understanding the needs of everyone in our community as well as identifying the opportunities that help raise entire communities to success. United for ALICE data helps us better understand the impact of financial hardship on communities and offers insight into possible solutions. The experience of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) is seen in every community, across every state nationwide – impacting folks of every age, race, ethnicity, gender, and ability.
A 2022 ALICE in Focus report highlights the impact of financial hardship among individuals with disabilities in Idaho, noting that nearly 45% are ALICE. Significant barriers exist for those living with a disability and those barriers play a critical role in financial stability. For example, education often offers opportunities leading to stronger financial security, but across all educational attainment, individuals with disabilities were found to be more likely to live below the ALICE threshold than those without disabilities. Similarly, employment status demonstrated the same disparity with people without disabilities being less likely than those with a disability to be ALICE for both full-time and part-time workers.
Other key data explored in the report further demonstrates the substantial barriers to financial stability for individuals with disability in Idaho:
- 43% of children with disabilities live in financially constrained households
- 55% of ALICE individuals with disabilities experience rent burden, with expenses higher than 35% of their income
- 38% of ALICE individuals with disabilities under the age of 65 were not enrolled in Medicaid or Medicare
- 44% of ALICE individuals with disabilities reported feeling anxious almost every day throughout the pandemic
- 33% of ALICE individuals with disabilities experience food insufficiency and report not having enough to eat
Addressing these barriers not only supports individuals but creates lasting change for the well-being of our communities.
You can help by connecting individuals in need of support today by promoting access to available community resources through findhelpidaho.org. We also invite you to join us in ensuring such resources are available to help all individuals thrive by supporting our Community Fund to invest in local community programs that offer the best solutions for advancing the education, health, and financial stability for those most in need in the Treasure Valley.
You can learn about ALICE data and more here on our website.