Disability and Poverty in Austrian Households: Analysing the Risk of Experiencing Income Poverty

This study investigates the risk of income poverty in Austrian households containing disabled members. Household-level data from the Austrian European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC 2022) were analysed, encompassing 5,933 households, of which 2,499 (42%) include at least one person with disabilities. Logistic regression models were estimated to distinguish between households at risk of poverty and those not at risk, and a Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition was applied to assess group differences. The analysis indicates that the elevated income poverty risk among families with disabled members is not accounted for by other variables. While household characteristics such as work intensity, education, migration background, and household structure significantly influence poverty risk, they do not explain the adverse effect associated with having a disabled household member. These findings point to systemic ableism, defined as structural, institutional, and cultural barriers that devalue both persons with disabilities and their household members, irrespective of socio-economic status.