by Jeroslyn JoVonn
August 29, 2025
New analysis within the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Growth highlights the rising variety of Black ladies with disabilities pursuing self-employment
As Black ladies expertise the steepest job losses and rise in unemployment in at present’s unstable labor market, Black ladies with disabilities are surviving these challenges by turning to self-employment.
New analysis within the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Growth highlights the rising variety of Black ladies with disabilities pursuing self-employment. The report, “Breaking Obstacles: The Financial Realities of Self-Employed Black Ladies With Disabilities,” a part of a particular problem on Black Individuals with disabilities, discovered that 43.9% of Black ladies with disabilities are self-employed.
“Black ladies with disabilities can create their very own paths to monetary independence, they usually can thrive and survive within the labor market with the precise instruments,” the examine’s lead writer, Gemarco Peterson, Ph.D., assistant professor of medical rehabilitation counseling at Georgia State College in Atlanta, instructed Phys.org.
The examine captures a snapshot of Black ladies with disabilities within the labor market between August and September 2024, with a deep dive into the self-employment charges amongst ladies with particular disabilities. Utilizing information from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Family Pulse Survey, researchers analyzed responses from 91 Black ladies with bodily or psychological well being disabilities.
Among the many 43.9% who have been self-employed, 66.9% reported a number of psychological well being situations, 27.3% had visible impairments, 11.8% confronted mobility challenges, and 11.3% reported auditory impairments. The findings additionally confirmed that Black ladies with bodily disabilities have been extra seemingly than these with out to carry a graduate diploma (31% vs. 15.5%) and to earn $50,000 or extra yearly (55.4% vs. 33.7%).
Peterson hopes the findings encourage counselors to acknowledge that Black ladies with disabilities need to take part and thrive within the labor market and see self-employment as a viable path. Larger understanding and help on this space will allow counselors to supply stronger profession steering that aligns with the purchasers’ wishes and talent units.
Researchers confused that counselors should perceive how vocation, particularly self-employment, impacts a shopper’s general well-being. Additionally they urged counselor teaching programs to coach counselors to acknowledge how societal stereotypes and misconceptions hurt the psychological well being of Black ladies, with or with out disabilities.
“Vocation is a key social determinant of well being,” Peterson stated. “The systemic obstacles in at present’s society lengthen to employment, impacting the psychological and emotional well-being of the shopper. If we silo vocation and employment, we miss the larger image of the entire individual.”
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