Dignity-Based Financial Rights

Zera Yacob grounded his ethics in human dignity—the inherent worth of every person regardless of status or circumstance. In the context of Money and disability, this means recognizing that disabled people have an unconditional right to economic security and participation. Dignity-based financial rights reject the charity model, which frames support for disabled people as optional generosity, and instead demands justice-based systems. These include fair wages for disabled workers, accessible employment opportunities, adequate disability income that honors autonomy, and financial inclusion without barriers. This framework shifts conversation from 'What can we afford to give disabled people?' to 'How do we ensure disabled people can live with dignity and economic self-determination?' It validates disabled people's claims on economic resources as matters of right, not pity.