Why we exist

Despite landmark laws and hard-won protections, people with disabilities in Florida continue to face barriers in employment, housing, education, healthcare, transportation, and community life. These barriers are not inevitable. They are the result of outdated systems, inaccessible environments, and attitudes that still treat disability as a limitation rather than a natural part of human diversity.

In Florida, an estimated 2.9 million people—about 13.5% of the population—live with a disability. Yet only around 23% of working-age Floridians with disabilities are employed, compared to roughly 57% of those without disabilities. Nationally, the employment rate for people with disabilities hovers near 23%, while poverty rates remain more than twice as high as for people without disabilities. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who receive long-term supports, only about 10–11% live in homes they own or rent; the majority still rely on family homes or other settings. These gaps persist even though research consistently shows that access to resources—workplace accommodations, home- and community-based services, and independent living supports—dramatically improves employment, health, longevity, and quality of life.

Breaking Barriers Florida exists to change that. We advocate, educate, and mobilize so that people with disabilities can pursue their goals, contribute their talents, and live the lives they choose—without unnecessary obstacles holding them back. Our work prioritizes the right of people with all types of abilities, seen and unseen, to live in their own homes or with their families, because that foundation maximizes fulfillment, happiness, success, and independence.