Abstract

Access to services for refugees with disabilities (RwDs) is critically important for improving their well-being and enhancing their integration. This population often faces prolonged exclusion that begins in their country of origin and often continues to worsen during displacement, leading to accumulated disparities. Because the United States (U.S.) refugee program is structured around rapid employment, refugees who do not fit the fast-track employment criteria are often left behind. RwDs are often considered unemployable, which automatically shifts resources and services away from them. Abandoning RwDs during the critical period of resettlement puts them at heightened risk of increased and long-term exclusion. Guided by critical disability theory and integration theory, this dissertation employed a qualitative descriptive design within a community-based participatory research framework. This study examines the mechanisms that exclude or include RwDs in accessing essential services such as employment, healthcare, education, and housing. Using purposive and snowball sampling, 41 RwDs and 26 service providers, totaling 67 participants, were recruited, and three focus group discussions were conducted. To analyze the data, reflexive thematic analysis was applied. The analysis yielded nine themes. The first five themes focused on barriers that excluded RwDs from accessing services: language barriers, inaccessibility, discrimination, service disconnection, and lack of disability data and information. These barriers directly impacted the psychological well-being and livelihood of RwDs, as illustrated in Themes 6 and 7. Service providers validated RwDs’ experiences while also offering institutional insights that revealed how systems sustain and reproduce inequalities in access to resources. During focus group discussions, RwDs collectively reflected on the challenges they face, calling for the urgent removal of barriers and improved access. To improve the well-being of RwDs, both service providers and RwDs highlighted the importance of centering RwD voices and creating opportunities for them to influence policies that affect their lives, as discussed in theme eight. RwDs who accessed disability programs reported improved well-being through increased resources and knowledge, including awareness of how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related anti-discriminatory policies. In Theme 9, participants discussed strategies to improve service coordination and ensure that RwDs do not fall through service gaps. Overall, this dissertation contributes new insight to bridge critical gaps in policy, practice, and research related to RwDs. The Refugee Act of 1980 requires new amendments to recognize that contemporary wars are prolonged and that many refugees acquire disabilities over time. At the same time, further integration of disability rights into refugee settlement programs and improved dissemination of disability rights information to RwDs are essential. Service providers consistently emphasized the need to integrate disability and refugee-focused training into academic and professional development settings. However, rapid policy shifts under the current administration, combined with broader federal funding cuts, have undermined the capacity of refugee and disability programs to provide adequate services and training. Despite the significance of these findings, substantial research gaps remain, particularly as current policies continue to marginalize refugees.

Committee Chair

Jean-Francois Trani

Committee Members

Dan Ferris; Ilana Seff; Lindsay Stark; Mansha Mirza

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Social Work

Author's School

Brown School

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

4-17-2026

Language

English (en)

Download

Included in

Social Work Commons

Share

COinS