Census Will Not Alter Disability Questions In a major victory for the disability rights movement, the Census Bureau announced they are dropping plans to alter questions about disability currently included in the American Community Survey (ACS). When the Census proposed the changes last fall, NDRN swung into action, organizing the community to provide feedback and comments opposing the proposed changes. Because of supporters like you, we were able to drive more than 7000 comments to the Census Bureau! Thank you! “The Census and specifically the disability questions in the ACS survey, are one of the very few sets of data we have from the federal government about the disability population in the United States,” said Marlene Sallo, executive director of NDRN. “This numerical information is critical in formulating federal, state, and local policymaking that impacts the disability community.” NDRN feared the new questions would result in undercounting the disability population, leading to reduced funding for critical federal programs and loss of data demonstrating the needs of the community. The Census Bureau also failed to consult with the disability community about the proposed changes, an unfortunate reminder how often people with disabilities are left out of the decisions that impact us. “We are very pleased by the Census Bureau’s decision to listen to our community and retain the current ACS disability questions,” continued Sallo. |
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