focused on examining diversity in all its forms and the intersection with financial and economic opportunity. i am very pleased that today s hearing will continue that by exploring the barriers that persons with disability in seeking full economic inclusion. employment opportune [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] experience is exactly the same as another s. various research report some broad deterrence or weight bearing in mind as we hear from and question our expert witnesses today. nearly won it for american adults live with a disability of some kind. and that number seems to be growing. the bureau of labor statistics estimates that 1.2 million more americans identify as having a disability in 2021, compared to the previous year. as many as 7 million americans are now dealing with a long covid and a lot of uncertainty about their future. persons with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment, lower wages, and savings, poverty, increased cost of li