Disability in Weddings: Statistics Every Wedding Vendor Should Know
- Jessica Levey
- 24 hours ago
- 6 min read
How Many People Have a Disability? More Than You Think – Even on the Wedding Day
Disabilities don’t just disappear on the wedding day, so why don’t more wedding businesses reflect that? Here’s a look at some disability statistics to inspire you to become a more inclusive and disability-friendly wedding vendor!
Disability isn't a niche industry issue - it's something that affects millions of engaged couples, family members, wedding party members, guests, and vendors every year. The statistics below help illustrate just how common disability is, and why accessibility should be a standard for the wedding industry.
The Reality of Disability in the U.S.
Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults report having a disability, or more than 70 million Americans (CDC, 2022).
For adults over 65 that number increases to about 2 in 5 people (same source as above, CDC 2022.)
1 in 7 U.S. adults report a mobility disability, making this the most common disability reported (CDC Disability and Health, 2022).
1 in 10 U.S. adults report a cognitive disability, 1 in 17 U.S. adults report a hearing disability, and 1 in 21 U.S. adults report a vision disability (same source as above, CDC Disability and Health, 2022)
Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. children have special health care needs or disabilities, or almost 15 million American children (National Survey of Children's Health, 2021-2022).
Systemic & Racial Inequalities Increase Disability
Older Black Americans are more likely to have a disability than older white Americans due to systemic healthcare inequality: “55 to 64 age range, nearly 30 percent of Black people have one or more disabilities, compared to about 20 percent of White people in the same age range” (CEPR Study, 2020).
36% of LGBTQ+ respondents report having a disability, compared to 24% of non-LGBTQ respondents (Research Study, 2025).
American Indian and Alaskan Native / Indigenous populations are disproportionately affected, with almost 40% of these adults reporting a disability (DHDS, 2022)
Getting Married Can Impact Disability Benefits, Too
For the nearly 11 million disabled adults who receive federal disability benefits, the decision to get married can be complicated, even risky - making even more important for wedding vendors to offer their overwhelming support to couples that make this difficult choice. Consider these numbers from the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF):
When two SSI recipients marry, their total monthly stipend is cut by 25% : "The maximum monthly federal cash benefit for individuals in 2026 is $994, yet the maximum monthly federal cash benefit for married couples when both spouses receive SSI is $1,491, which means that married couples – when both spouses receive SSI – receive 25% less than the total amount that they could have received if unmarried."
The 25% cut also lowers the amount of gross monthly income the couple can earn and still qualify for SSI benefits, and the total number of savings the couple can have - reducing the amount each partner can earn to $1,533, and total assets to $3,000.
(Doesn't leave much for wedding expenses - or a lot else - does it? Read more about the disability 'marriage penalty' here: Will Congress Finally Pass Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults?)
Why focus on accessible and disability-friendly weddings?
The statistics above make one thing clear: disability is a common part of everyday life, including the wedding day. Couples, wedding officiants, family members, wedding party members, wedding vendors, and wedding guests all benefit when wedding businesses make accessibility a priority.
Related Article: 5 Website Accessibility Tips for Wedding Vendors
It’s surprising that more wedding vendors and venues don’t tailor their services to folks with disabilities. Over time, the wedding industry has shown that it can evolve to better serve couples who were historically excluded or overlooked. Accessibility deserves that same commitment. Consider that 19% of cohabiting couples and 26.4% of married couples in the U.S. include at least one partner with a disability. That’s a lot of potential engagements, weddings, and vow renewals we can celebrate inclusively!
The disability community is one of the fastest growing demographics in the United States, and around the world. If the wedding industry wants to keep up, it should embrace the opportunity to serve disabled couples, guests, and vendors.
Of course, there are wedding businesses are actively working to bring disability into the mainstream too!
Here are a few disability-focused wedding businesses worth checking out:
The Accessible Aisle: That's us! An online wedding publication and resource serving the disability community with informative articles, wedding planning inspiration, disability-friendly wedding vendor features, and lots more to come. We're based in the US but actively interview vendors from around the world to gather the best ideas for barrier-free weddings.
Brides in Wheelchairs: A US-based online resource offering “Wedding planning support for the bride on wheels.®”
Aisle for All: A US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that's currently planning the first-of-its-kind vendor summit centered on wedding accessibility.
All Bodies, All Brides: A US-based organization providing extensive accessibility training and consultation to bridal shops and wedding business, as well as recognized ABAB certification.
Wish Upon a Wedding: A US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides financial grants and planning for weddings and vow renewals for couples with terminal illnesses and life-altering health circumstances.
Access All Aisles: A UK-based Substack publication and “insider letter on luxury, accessibility, and the events industry,” written by accessibility strategist Elaine Hughes.
The Inclusive Wedding Company: A UK-based consultant business educating about accessibility in premium weddings and hospitality spaces, founded by accessibility strategist Elaine Hughes.
W2-Dress & Hope Weddings: Two Japanese wedding companies co-founded by gown designer Kumi Miyazawa. The first, W-2 Dress, specializes in adaptive "バリアフリーウェディング", or 'barrier-free wedding' dresses for wheelchair users in cute and colorful styles, and wedding planning business that networks with local accessible venues and vendors to plan events for couples with all kinds of disabilities, including "車椅子 ウェディング", or ‘wheelchair weddings.’”
IZ Adaptive: A US-based adaptive clothing line for wheelchair users, that creates seated clothing, including a seated men's suit jacket (and in the past, bridal gowns).
Olivia Bottega: A US-based designer gown company offering a wheelchair friendly wedding dress collection.
King & Allen: A UK menswear designer offering adaptive tailoring for people using wheelchairs or seated mobility aids.
Hochzeit.click: A German wedding venue database that allows users to filter by accessibility features for “barrierefrei” celebrations.
Are you a disability-focused wedding business? Contact me so I can add you to this list or interview you for a future article.
When I started The Accessible Aisle last year, I’d already been working in the wedding industry for about five years as a full-time writer, researcher, content manager, and sometimes-illustrator for American Marriage Ministries (AMM) - an incredibly inclusive nonprofit organization offering free online ordination.
If you're ready to officiate a friend's wedding, check out this Super Simple Wedding Ceremony Script for Your Officiant (includes a free PDF download)
Through my work with AMM, I’ve had the opportunity to write nearly 2,000 articles about wedding industry trends, state marriage laws, and marriage rights advocacy. The experience has given me a unique view into the wedding industry, and one thing has become increasingly clear: there is nowhere near enough disability representation in mainstream wedding media.
I'm grateful I've been able to work with AMM for so long, and that I've had the opportunity to begin creating a community here at The Accessible Aisle at the same time – especially when I look out at the wedding industry at large.
If you've found another wedding business, nonprofit, or creator working to make weddings more accessible, I'd love to hear about them. My hope is that this platform becomes a place where couples and wedding professionals can discover, share, and celebrate accessible wedding ideas and resources together.
Get Inspired By These Disability-Friendly Wedding Vendors From The Accessible Aisle:
Wedding Officiant Naomi Ehrich Blends the Sacred & Accessible
The Flower Granny: A Wheelchair-Friendly Wedding Trend (Featuring photos by Detroit wedding photographer, Lara Rose)
