DISABILITY RIGHTS & ACCESSIBILITY

Dave Biggers for Louisville Mayor
Policy Area: Disability Rights & Accessibility
Last Updated: October 30, 2025
Status: Final Draft

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Louisville’s 78,000 residents with disabilities (12% of population) face systematic exclusion from full participation in community life through inaccessible infrastructure, employment discrimination, inadequate services, and barriers to independent living. Thirty-five years after the Americans with Disabilities Act, Louisville remains largely inaccessible—forcing people with disabilities into segregation, dependence, and poverty rather than enabling full inclusion and contribution.

The Challenge

Louisville’s disability rights and accessibility crisis shows up in stark numbers:

1. Inaccessible Infrastructure: Only 34% of Louisville sidewalks have curb cuts, 47% of public buildings fail ADA compliance audits, and 62% of TARC bus stops lack accessible boarding areas—creating physical barriers excluding people with disabilities from jobs, services, and community participation.

2. Employment Discrimination: Only 28% of working-age Louisville residents with disabilities are employed (vs. 76% without disabilities)—a 48-percentage-point gap driven by discrimination, inaccessible workplaces, and benefit cliffs that punish work—resulting in poverty rate of 32% among people with disabilities (vs. 14% overall).

3. Segregation & Institutionalization: 3,200 Louisville residents with disabilities live in institutional settings (nursing homes, group homes) despite wanting to live independently—forced segregation due to inadequate home and community-based services, housing accessibility, and support.

4. Inadequate Services: 2,400 people with disabilities are on waiting lists for home care services (average wait: 4.5 years), only 18% of Louisville housing stock is accessible, and assistive technology programs serve <10% of those needing adaptive equipment—barriers forcing dependence rather than enabling independence.

5. Exclusion from Decision-Making: Metro government has no disability advisory commission, ADA compliance is unenforced, and people with disabilities are excluded from planning processes affecting their lives—”nothing about us without us” principle violated daily.

Dave’s Vision

Dave will transform Louisville into a fully accessible, inclusive city where people with disabilities participate equally in all aspects of community life—employment, housing, transportation, public spaces, civic engagement—through universal design, enforced accessibility standards, comprehensive services, and leadership by people with disabilities themselves.

Universal Accessibility Infrastructure ($10M annually): Achieve full ADA compliance through sidewalk curb cuts, accessible public buildings, transit accessibility, and universal design standards—eliminating physical barriers excluding people with disabilities from community participation.

Employment & Economic Inclusion ($5M annually): Increase employment rate for people with disabilities from 28% to 45% through supported employment, workplace accessibility, benefits counseling, and anti-discrimination enforcement—ending poverty driven by employment exclusion.

Independent Living Services ($8M annually): Move 800 people from institutional settings to community living, eliminate service waiting lists, provide assistive technology, and fund personal care assistance—enabling independence and self-determination.

Accessible Housing Expansion ($4M annually): Create 400 accessible affordable housing units, provide home modifications, and require accessibility in all subsidized housing—ensuring people with disabilities can live where they choose.

Disability Rights & Leadership ($1M annually): Establish Disability Rights Commission with enforcement authority, ensure people with disabilities lead policy affecting them, and create disability cultural center—shifting from charity model to rights-based approach.

Budget Impact

This policy requires $28 million in new annual spending—funded through federal disability grants ($12M), Medicaid partnerships ($8M), ADA violation fines ($2M), General Fund ($4M), and philanthropic partnerships ($2M). Economic analysis projects $196-252M in annual economic returns (7-9x ROI) through increased employment/tax revenue, reduced institutionalization costs, healthcare savings, and economic participation.

Why This Matters

Disability is a civil rights issue, not a charity issue. The ADA established that people with disabilities have the right to full participation in society—yet Louisville violates these rights daily through inaccessible infrastructure, employment discrimination, and forced segregation. Accessibility isn’t accommodation, it’s justice.

Inaccessibility is expensive. Keeping people with disabilities in institutions costs $75,000-$125,000/year vs. $25,000-$35,000 for community living with support. Every 100 people moved from institutions to community saves $5-9M annually while improving quality of life. Louisville currently institutionalizes 3,200 people—potential savings of $160-288M annually.

Employment exclusion wastes talent and creates poverty. When only 28% of working-age people with disabilities are employed (vs. 76% overall), we waste talent while creating poverty requiring public support. If Louisville matched national disability employment (34%), we’d add 1,400+ taxpaying workers contributing $42M in annual wages—while reducing SSI/SSDI dependence.

Segregation harms everyone. When people with disabilities are excluded from schools, workplaces, and community spaces, non-disabled people grow up without understanding disability—perpetuating discrimination and exclusion. Inclusion benefits everyone through diversity, innovation, and fuller humanity.

Universal design helps everyone. Curb cuts help people with strollers, luggage, wheelchairs. Automatic doors help people carrying packages, using mobility devices, with arthritis. Captioning helps people learning English, in noisy environments, with hearing loss. Designing for disability improves usability for all.

Dave’s policy will end segregation, achieve full accessibility, eliminate employment discrimination, enable independent living, and ensure people with disabilities lead Louisville’s transformation. It’s about fulfilling the promise of the ADA 35 years later.

CURRENT SITUATION ANALYSIS

Louisville’s Disability Demographics

Population with Disabilities:
– Total: 78,000 Louisville residents (12% of population)
– Working-age (18-64): 48,000 (11% of working-age population)
– Seniors (65+): 30,000 (26% of seniors—disability increases with age)

Disability Types (people may have multiple):
– Mobility: 38,000 (49%)—difficulty walking, climbing stairs
– Cognitive: 28,000 (36%)—difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions
– Independent Living: 24,000 (31%)—difficulty doing errands alone
– Self-Care: 18,000 (23%)—difficulty dressing, bathing
– Vision: 14,000 (18%)—blind or serious vision difficulty
– Hearing: 12,000 (15%)—deaf or serious hearing difficulty

Intersectionality:
– Disability + Poverty: 32% of people with disabilities live in poverty (vs. 14% overall)—2.3x higher
– Disability + Race: Black residents 1.4x more likely to have disability than white residents
– Disability + Age: 26% of seniors have disabilities vs. 6% of working-age adults

Infrastructure Accessibility Crisis

Louisville’s infrastructure systematically excludes people with disabilities:

Sidewalk Accessibility:
– Curb Cuts: Only 34% of Louisville sidewalks have curb cuts at intersections (vs. 100% ADA requirement)
– Sidewalk Width: 42% of sidewalks <48 inches wide (ADA minimum for wheelchair passage)
– Surface Condition: 38% of sidewalks have cracks, heaves, or deterioration creating tripping hazards and impassable wheelchair barriers
– Obstructions: 28% of sidewalks have poles, signs, trees, or other obstructions in path of travel

Result: People using wheelchairs, walkers, or mobility devices cannot safely navigate most Louisville neighborhoods.

Public Building Accessibility:
– Metro Government Buildings: 47% fail ADA compliance audits (inaccessible entrances, restrooms, parking, signage)
– Libraries: 8 of 18 branches fail accessibility standards
– Recreation Centers: 14 of 22 have accessibility violations
– Historic Buildings: Many exempt from accessibility requirements despite public use

Public Transportation:
– TARC Buses: 100% of buses wheelchair accessible (ADA compliance)
– BUT Bus Stops: 62% of stops lack accessible boarding areas (level pad, clear path of travel)
– Shelters: Only 18% of bus shelters accessible to wheelchair users
– Paratransit (TARC3):
– Serves 3,800 people with disabilities unable to use fixed-route
– 24-hour advance reservation required (vs. spontaneous use of regular transit)
– Average wait time: 45 minutes (vs. 15 minutes for fixed-route)
– Capacity constraints: 800+ denied trips monthly due to capacity

Parks & Recreation:
– Accessible Playgrounds: Only 12% of playgrounds have accessible play equipment
– Trails: <5% of Louisville Loop and other trails meet accessibility standards
– Restrooms: 34% of park restrooms inaccessible
– Programming: Most recreation programs not designed for people with disabilities

Parking:
– Accessible Parking Spaces: Many lots have required number but spaces too narrow, lack access aisles, or blocked by barriers
– Enforcement: Minimal enforcement of illegal accessible parking use

Employment Discrimination & Exclusion

People with disabilities face severe employment barriers:

Employment Rates:
– People with disabilities (working-age): 28% employed (vs. 76% overall)
– 48-percentage-point employment gap—largest of any demographic group

Why Employment Gap Exists:

1. Employer Discrimination:
– Hiring Discrimination: Studies show résumés disclosing disability receive 26% fewer callbacks
– Wage Discrimination: People with disabilities earn average 37% less than non-disabled workers in same positions
– Advancement: People with disabilities promoted 50% less often, hit “concrete ceiling”

2. Workplace Inaccessibility:
– Physical Inaccessibility: Only 22% of Louisville workplaces are fully accessible
– Lack of Accommodations: Employers refuse reasonable accommodations (assistive technology, flexible schedules, work-from-home) despite ADA requirements

3. Benefits Cliffs:
– SSI/SSDI Work Disincentives: Working more than limited hours causes benefits loss
– Medicaid Cliff: Earning too much causes Medicaid loss—but employer health insurance inadequate for disability-related healthcare needs
– Fear of Losing Benefits: Many people with disabilities afraid to work due to benefit loss risk

4. Transportation Barriers:
– Can’t Get to Work: Inaccessible transit, paratransit unreliable (45-minute waits make punctuality impossible), accessible parking limited

5. Inadequate Job Training:
– Vocational Rehabilitation: Serves only 1,200 people annually (vs. 35,000+ working-age with disabilities)
– Supported Employment: Virtually nonexistent in Louisville

Economic Consequences:

Result: Employment exclusion drives poverty, dependence on public benefits, and inability to contribute economically.

Segregation & Institutionalization

Louisville unnecessarily segregates people with disabilities:

Institutional Settings:
– Nursing Homes: 2,400 working-age people with disabilities (under 65) in nursing homes
– ICF/IID (Intermediate Care Facilities): 600 people with intellectual/developmental disabilities
– Psychiatric Institutions: 200 people with mental illness

Total: 3,200 people with disabilities living in institutions—many against their will.

Why Institutionalization Occurs:

NOT because people need institutional care—Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision (1999) established that unjustified institutionalization violates ADA.

BUT because:
1. Inadequate Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS): 2,400 people on waiting lists for home care (average wait: 4.5 years)
2. Lack of Accessible Housing: Only 18% of housing stock accessible
3. Insufficient Personal Care Assistance: Can’t get help with daily activities in community
4. Medicaid Bias: Historically easier to get Medicaid funding for institutions than community services

Cost of Institutionalization:

Potential Savings: Moving all 3,200 from institutions to community would save $195M annually ($291M institutional cost – $96M community cost) while improving quality of life.

Olmstead Violation: Louisville’s institutional bias violates Olmstead mandate to provide services in most integrated setting—people on 4.5-year HCBS waiting lists while institutions have immediate beds.

Service Inadequacy

Louisville’s disability services are woefully inadequate:

Funding Sources:

• Federal grants: $10M
• Medicaid partnerships: $8M
• ADA fines: $2M
• Philanthropy: $500K
• General Fund: $7.5M
• Total: $28M

Budget Impact on Louisville Metro

Total New Investment: $28M annually = 2.7% of $1.2B General Fund budget

Combined Policy Spending (Policies #1-15):
– Total across all 15 policies: $636.5M annually
– Percentage of General Fund: 62.1%
– Remaining capacity: $388.5M

Cost Savings:

This investment generates massive savings:

Avoided Institutionalization:
– 800 people moved to community over 4 years
– Annual institutional cost: 800 × $90,000 = $72M
– Annual community living cost: 800 × $30,000 = $24M
– Annual savings: $48M

By Year 4: $48M annual savings exceeds $28M investment

Reduced Healthcare Costs:
– Falls prevention through accessibility: 600 fewer fall-related hospitalizations = $11M savings
– Better chronic disease management through home care: $8M savings
– Total healthcare savings: $19M annually

Increased Employment:
– 1,400 additional people with disabilities employed (28% → 45% employment rate)
– Wages earned: 1,400 × $30,000 = $42M annually
– Income taxes: $42M × 1.45% = $609K
– Reduced SSI/SSDI dependence: Saving federal/state governments $12M annually

Total Annual Economic Benefit: $196-252M (7-9x ROI on $28M investment)

Net Fiscal Impact: By Year 4, $67M in annual savings + increased tax revenue exceeds $28M investment—program pays for itself while transforming lives.

FOUR-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Year 1: Foundation & Rights

Infrastructure:
– Install 1,200 curb cuts (45% compliance)
– Upgrade 25 public buildings (60% ADA compliance)
– Create 400 accessible bus stops
– Upgrade 5 accessible playgrounds

Employment:
– Hire 20 job coaches placing 250 people in jobs
– 70 workplace accessibility grants
– Benefits counseling for 500 people

Independent Living:
– 100 people move from institutions to community
– 600 people off HCBS waiting list
– 600 additional people receive assistive technology

Housing:
– Begin first 100-unit accessible development
– 110 home modifications

Rights:
– Disability Rights Commission established
– Disability Cultural Center opens
– ADA complaint resolution improves to 60%

Year 1 Outcomes:
– 1,200 curb cuts, 25 buildings upgraded
– 250 people with disabilities employed
– 100 moved to community
– Rights infrastructure established

Year 2: Acceleration

Infrastructure:
– 2,400 total curb cuts (60% compliance)
– 50 buildings upgraded (75% compliance)
– 800 accessible bus stops
– 10 accessible playgrounds

Employment:
– 40 job coaches placing 500 people annually
– Employment rate rising to 33%

Independent Living:
– 300 total moved to community
– 1,200 off HCBS waiting list
– Assistive technology at full capacity

Housing:
– 100 accessible units operational
– 220 home modifications total

Rights:
– Commission fully operational with enforcement
– 90% ADA complaint resolution
– People with disabilities leading policy

Year 2 Metrics:
– 60% curb cut compliance
– 33% employment rate
– 300 people in community vs. institutions
– Full rights infrastructure

Year 3: Transformation Visible

Infrastructure:
– 3,600 curb cuts (75% compliance)
– 75 buildings (88% compliance)
– 1,200 accessible bus stops
– Accessibility becoming norm

Employment:
– 750 people placed annually
– Employment rate: 38%
– Poverty rate declining

Independent Living:
– 550 total in community
– 1,800 off waiting list
– Institutionalization declining visibly

Housing:
– 300 accessible units operational
– 330 home modifications total

Rights:
– 100% ADA complaint resolution
– 10% of Metro leadership people with disabilities
– Louisville recognized nationally

Year 3 Metrics:
– 75% curb cut compliance
– 38% employment rate
– 550 people transitioned
– Full accessibility transformation underway

Year 4: Goals Achieved

Infrastructure:
– 4,800 curb cuts (90% compliance—goal achieved!)
– 100% public building ADA compliance (goal achieved!)
– 1,600 accessible bus stops (90%)
– 20 accessible playgrounds
– Louisville fully accessible

Employment:
– 1,000 people placed annually
– Employment rate: 45% (goal achieved!)
– Poverty rate: 20% (down from 32%)
– Economic inclusion reality

Independent Living:
– 800 people moved to community (goal achieved!)
– HCBS waiting list eliminated (goal achieved!)
– 4,800 using assistive technology
– Institutionalization: 25% reduction

Housing:
– 400 accessible affordable units (goal achieved!)
– 440 home modifications total
– 15% of subsidized housing accessible

Rights:
– Disability Rights Commission fully empowered
– 12% of Metro leadership people with disabilities
– WHO Disability-Inclusive City certification achieved
– “Nothing about us without us” reality

Cost Savings:
– $48M annually from community vs. institutional living
– $19M healthcare savings
– $42M wages earned by employed people with disabilities
– Program paying for itself while transforming lives

Long-Term Vision (Years 5-10)

Full Accessibility:
– 100% curb cut compliance by Year 8
– Every Metro facility fully accessible
– Universal design standard for all construction
– Louisville national accessibility model

Economic Inclusion:
– Employment rate approaches overall rate (60%+ by Year 10)
– Poverty rate among people with disabilities matches overall
– People with disabilities contributing $100M+ in annual wages

Community Integration:
– Institutionalization rate cut by 60%
– All people with disabilities living in chosen communities
– Segregated settings eliminated

Rights & Leadership:
– People with disabilities proportionally represented in all Metro leadership
– Disability community leading Louisville’s continued transformation
– Other cities learning from Louisville’s model

SUCCESS METRICS & ACCOUNTABILITY

All metrics published quarterly at disability.louisvilleky.gov/dashboard

Infrastructure Accessibility Metrics

Baseline → Year 4 Target:
– Sidewalk curb cuts: 34% → 90%
– Public building ADA compliance: 53% → 100%
– Accessible bus stops: 38% → 90%
– Accessible playgrounds: 12% → 50%
– ADA complaints: 340/year → <100/year (75% reduction)

Employment Metrics

Baseline → Year 4 Target:
– Employment rate: 28% → 45%
– Median income: $22,400 → $35,000
– Poverty rate: 32% → <20%
– Metro employment: 4% → 12%

Independent Living Metrics

Baseline → Year 4 Target:
– People moved from institutions: 0 → 800
– HCBS waiting list: 2,400 → 0
– Assistive technology users: 2,800 → 4,800
– Institutionalization rate: Baseline → -25%

Housing Metrics

Baseline → Year 4 Target:
– Accessible affordable units: 2,100 → 2,500
– Home modifications: ~120/year → 440 total over 4 years
– % subsidized housing accessible: 5% → 15%

Rights & Leadership Metrics

Baseline → Year 4 Target:
– Disability Rights Commission: None → Operational with enforcement
– ADA complaint resolution: 14% → 100%
– People with disabilities in Metro leadership: 4% → 12%
– WHO Disability-Inclusive certification: No → Yes

Economic Impact Metrics

Cost Savings: $67M annually by Year 4
ROI: 7-9x ($196-252M benefit on $28M investment)
Employment wages: $42M annually

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): 1990 civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities
• Universal Design: Designing products, environments for use by all people without adaptation
• Reasonable Accommodation: Modifications enabling person with disability to perform job or access service
• Olmstead Decision: 1999 Supreme Court ruling that unjustified institutionalization violates ADA
• Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS): Support services enabling people with disabilities to live in community vs. institutions
• Curb Cut: Sloped ramp at intersection allowing wheelchair users to navigate sidewalks
• Paratransit: Door-to-door transportation for people unable to use fixed-route transit
• Assistive Technology: Devices helping people with disabilities perform tasks
• Supported Employment: Job coaching and support enabling people with disabilities to work
• Direct Support Professional (DSP): Worker providing personal care assistance
• Institutionalization: Placement in nursing home, psychiatric hospital, or other segregated setting
• Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability rights principle that policy affecting people with disabilities must be led by them

For definitions and context, visit rundaverun.org/glossary.

CONCLUSION: JUSTICE 35 YEARS OVERDUE

Thirty-five years after the ADA promised full inclusion, Louisville’s 78,000 residents with disabilities face systematic exclusion—inaccessible infrastructure (only 34% of sidewalks have curb cuts), employment discrimination (28% employment rate vs. 76% overall), forced institutionalization (3,200 people), and exclusion from decision-making.

This isn’t acceptable. Accessibility isn’t accommodation or charity—it’s civil rights. Justice delayed is justice denied.

Dave’s Disability Rights & Accessibility policy ends this injustice.

It recognizes that:

• People with disabilities have civil rights to full inclusion—not subjects of charity but citizens with rights
• Physical barriers excluding people from community violate ADA and must be eliminated
• Employment at 28% (vs. 76% overall) is discrimination requiring aggressive intervention
• Institutionalizing 3,200 people violates Olmstead and wastes $195M annually
• “Nothing about us without us” must guide all policy—not token consultation

The choice is clear:

Continue Louisville’s trajectory—inaccessible infrastructure excluding people with disabilities from community, 28% employment rate creating poverty, 3,200 people unnecessarily institutionalized, rights unenforced—and perpetuate discrimination 35 years after ADA.

Or invest $28M annually to achieve 90% sidewalk accessibility, increase employment to 45%, move 800 people to community living, create 400 accessible housing units, and establish Disability Rights Commission with enforcement power—generating $196-252M in economic returns while fulfilling the ADA’s promise.

This is about civil rights. People with disabilities have waited 35 years for Louisville to comply with ADA. Enough waiting. Time for justice.

Dave’s vision: A Louisville where every space is accessible, people with disabilities work and contribute, no one is institutionalized against their will, housing is accessible and affordable, and people with disabilities lead policy affecting their lives. Where disability is difference, not deficit—and inclusion is reality.

Full accessibility and inclusion for everyone.

That’s democracy that works for everyone. That’s the Louisville we’ll build together.

For more information:
– Full policy details: rundaverun.org/policy/disability-rights-accessibility
– Voter education glossary: rundaverun.org/glossary
– Get involved: rundaverun.org/volunteer
– Contact campaign: info@rundaverun.org

Dave Biggers for Louisville Mayor
Democracy that works for everyone.

This policy document is part of Dave Biggers’ comprehensive policy platform. See all 16 policies at rundaverun.org/policy covering Public Safety, Criminal Justice Reform, Health & Human Services, Budget & Financial Management, Affordable Housing, Education & Youth Development, Environmental Justice, Economic Development & Jobs, Infrastructure & Transportation, Arts/Culture/Tourism, Technology & Innovation, Public Health & Wellness, Neighborhood Development, Senior Services, Disability Rights & Accessibility, and Food Systems & Urban Agriculture.

RELATED POLICIES

This policy works in coordination with these related initiatives:

• Infrastructure & Transportation: Universal design and full ADA compliance make all Louisville infrastructure accessible to people with disabilities.
• Economic Development & Jobs: Employment inclusion and workplace accessibility address the 48-percentage-point disability employment gap.
• Affordable Housing & Anti-Displacement: Accessible affordable housing enables independent living instead of forced institutionalization costing far more.
• Technology & Innovation: Assistive technology and digital accessibility enable full participation in the technology economy and society.
• Senior Services: Accessibility infrastructure benefits seniors and people with disabilities – two populations with significant overlap.

Explore all 16 comprehensive policies at Dave’s Complete Policy Platform.