M.S. Applied Data Science - Capstone Chronicles 2025

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This table reveals consistent and substantial disparities across all educational categories. Adults with disabilities experience markedly higher poverty rates than non-disabled adults at every education level. For example, poverty among disabled individuals with less than a high school education reaches 39.2%, compared with 14.9% for non disabled peers. Even at the highest education tier (master’s degree or higher), disabled adults show a Figure 4 Poverty Rates by Education and Disability Status (Weighted)

poverty rate of 11.4%, more than triple the 3.3% rate observed among non-disabled individuals. These findings underscore that while higher education reduces poverty risk for both groups, the protective effect of education is significantly weaker for individuals with disabilities, indicating persistent economic inequities that remain after controlling for human capital levels.

This heatmap shows that poverty rates decline with higher education for all groups but remain consistently higher for individuals with disabilities. The gap is largest at lower education levels, where disabled adults experience poverty rates exceeding

35%, compared to 15 – 20% among those without disabilities. Even at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, disabled adults continue to show elevated poverty rates, highlighting a persistent disparity not fully mitigated by educational attainment.

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