Disability, which impacts an estimated 1.3 billion people, is a complex global challenge arising from the interaction between individual health conditions and pervasive societal barriers. The social model of disability frames disability as a human rights issue, highlighting how environmental, institutional, and attitudinal obstacles create profound participation restrictions. This entry critically examines the intertwined socioeconomic and health needs of people with disabilities. Socially, people with disabilities disproportionately experience severe isolation, loneliness, and exclusion. These are not passive consequences of impairment but are actively constructed by inaccessible environments and exclusionary social structures, undermining well-being and community integration. Economically, a vicious cycle links disability and poverty, perpetuated by significant barriers to education, employment, and financial services. This economic hardship is intensified by substantial “extra costs of living” required to achieve a comparable standard of life, a burden that conventional poverty metrics fail to capture. These social and economic disadvantages are compounded by significant health disparities. People with disabilities face formidable physical, financial, and attitudinal barriers that limit access to timely and adequate healthcare, resulting in unmet health needs and poorer outcomes. The experience of disability is further shaped by intersectionality, where identities such as gender, class, and geography create deeper layers of marginalization. This entry argues that effective strategies to empower people with disabilities must be holistic and rights based. Economic self-sufficiency cannot be achieved without a foundation of social inclusion, accessible healthcare, and robust community support. Consequently, dismantling systemic barriers and fostering holistic well-being are essential prerequisites for ensuring people with disabilities can fully participate in and contribute to society.