National Disability Awareness Month is observed every
October in the U.S. celebrating the contributions of workers with disabilities
and highlighting the importance of inclusive workplaces and employment
opportunities.
Personal finance company WalletHub released its report on
the 2026 Best & Worst Cities for People
With Disabilities after comparing more than 180 cities across 33 key
indicators of disability. The data set ranges from wheelchair-accessible
facilities per capita to the rate of workers with disabilities to the quality
of the public hospital system. Unfortunately, research also indicates the
average Social Security disability benefit of $1,498 is barely enough to live
on.
The report however aims to ease the process of finding an
affordable and accessible place to live while managing a disability. The data
is also applicable to travelers
with disabilities who may be planning to visit these destinations.
WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement, “More than
one in four U.S. adults live with a disability, so it’s extremely important for
cities to prioritize becoming a safe, welcoming and affordable place for this
demographic. The best cities have highly-accessible public facilities and
housing, high-quality medical care, and an affordable cost of living for people
on a fixed income.”
Best Cities for People with Disabilities
1. St. Louis, Missouri
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
3. Columbus, Ohio
4. Huntington Beach, California
5. St. Paul, Minnesota
6. Grand Rapids, Minnesota
7. Scottsdale, Arizona
8. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
9. Kansas City, Missouri
10. Columbia, Maryland
Worst Cities for People with Disabilities
173. Cheynne, Wyoming
174. Winston-Salem, North Carolina
175. Shreveport, Louisiana
176. Laredo, Texas
177. Jackson, Mississippi
178. Pearl City, Hawaii
179. Gulfport, Mississippi
180. Montgomery, Alabama
181. South Burlington, Vermont
182. Juneau, Alaska
Other Best vs. Worst Findings
Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Gulfport, Mississippi, have the
highest share of people with disabilities living in the area, which is 3.5
times higher than in Irvine, California, the city with the lowest.
Pearl City, Hawaii, has the lowest share of people with
disabilities living in poverty, 4.3 times lower than in Cleveland, Ohio, the
city with the highest.
Columbus, Ohio, and Laredo, Texas, have the lowest median
annual cost of in-home services, which is 3.9 times lower than in Cheyenne,
Wyoming, the city with the highest.
Fremont, California, has the highest median annual earnings
for people with disabilities, 8.4 times higher than in Burlington, Vermont, the
city with the lowest.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was adopted over
three decades ago. What 21st-century improvements should be made, if
any, to this important act?
According to Matthew Bogeschutz, Ph.D., Associate Professor,
Virginia Commonwealth University, “The ADA remains a model policy worldwide,
though flaws exist. Perhaps most notably, there is no enforcement mechanism,
which places the burden on people with disabilities to advocate for themselves,
and to seek justice via the courts (a daunting and expensive prospect) if they
feel their rights are being challenged.”
He added, “There is also a lot of room for interpretation of
what constitutes a ‘reasonable’ accommodation, so what seems reasonable in one
context or to a particular person may not be reasonable in another context.
This makes it easy for an employer, landlord, business owner, etc. to claim
that they will not accommodate a person with a disability because it is
unreasonable. Again, in this case it would fall to the person with a disability
(the person being discriminated against) to file a claim or bring legal action
in order to have their accommodation needs met.”
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