Forty percent of adults with disabilities report chronic loneliness or social isolation, nearly double the national average.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning that America is facing an epidemic of loneliness, with health consequences as severe as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That call drew national attention to a crisis that touches every community, and yet for millions of people with developmental disabilities, loneliness and exclusion are not only personal experiences but systemic realities. Policies, funding priorities, and even well-intentioned service models often reinforce isolation rather than dismantle it.
In Cincinnati, the problem is close to home. Local nonprofits report that adults with developmental disabilities here face some of the lowest employment and community participation rates in Ohio, despite our city’s reputation for civic innovation and strong philanthropic institutions.
This is not only a social and moral concern but also a public health emergency. Decades after landmark court decisions and years of advocacy, people with developmental disabilities remain far more likely to live in segregated settings and to be unemployed relative to their peers. Forty percent of adults with disabilities report chronic loneliness or social isolation, nearly double the national average. That loneliness has measurable effects, increasing risks of heart disease, dementia, stroke, and early death.
The pandemic underscored these inequities, as people with disabilities faced higher rates of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, often with reduced access to essential supports or family visitation. Even beyond crises, many systems still channel people into group homes, day programs, or institutions that separate rather than connect. Community-based services are more cost-effective and healthier, yet they remain underfunded compared with institutional care. Less than 2% of U.S. philanthropic giving goes to disability-related causes, and disability is too often left out of the broader conversation about equity.
There are, however, examples that point to a different future. Across the country, people with disabilities are leading as artists, entrepreneurs, civic organizers, and policy advocates. Disability-led groups, such as Self Advocates Becoming Empowered, and leaders like Jordyn Zimmerman demonstrate what it means to build communities rooted in choice, dignity, and genuine belonging. Local organizations are also walking alongside these leaders, supporting neighborhood initiatives and civic projects where people with disabilities define the vision and build the relationships.
Social inclusion must become a central measure of how communities are designed, how public services are structured, and how collective well-being is understood. This involves investing in housing and employment that support autonomy, training leaders across health care, education, and business to approach inclusion as a strategic priority, and elevating people with disabilities in the narratives that shape culture and policy. When lived experience guides decisions, communities become stronger, healthier, and more resilient for everyone.
People with developmental disabilities have developed ways of building connection and resilience, often without institutional support, and those approaches offer lessons for all of us. The health of our democracy, our economy, and our communities will depend on whether we choose to listen and follow their lead.
Alen Amini is the executive director of Starfire, a Cincinnati-based organization dedicated to building inclusive communities by investing in the strengths and stories of people with developmental disabilities.
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