Transition From Adolescence to Adulthood, Disability and

Gender and Disability

Research shows that girls and young women with disabilities achieve less positive transition-related outcomes than do their male peers with disabilities. Prior to examining this issue further, it is important to make several points. First, girls and young women with disabilities are not a homogenous group. Disability determinations vary from country to country and even within countries. For this entry, the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health serves as the point of reference for defining disability. The WHO defines disability as an outcome of the interaction between a person's health condition and contextual factors that result in an impairment of body function or structure, capacity limitations, and/or performance [Page 2185]or participation restrictions. This is a broad definition that acknowledges the role of biological limitations and societal barriers.

Second, there is a reciprocal relationship among gender, disability, and several other factors impacting equity in education, including socioeconomic status and poverty level as well as race and ethnicity. For example, there is a reciprocal relationship between poverty and disability. Poverty can cause disability, particularly in women and girls who, in the face of limited resources, are more likely than their male counterparts to be deprived of basic necessities such as food and medicine. Disability, in turn, can contribute to poverty because of the additional expenses that it can entail or its impact on employment. Thus, girls with disabilities are disproportionately likely to grow up in poor families, a reality that, in itself, places them at an educational disadvantage. Race and ethnicity can also be a compounding factor. For instance, in the United States, there is a disproportionate number of African American students receiving special education services, which, in part, reflects the intersection of race and disability bias, and thus affects educational equity.

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