Current:Home > MyThe Census Bureau is dropping a controversial proposal to change disability statistics-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
The Census Bureau is dropping a controversial proposal to change disability statistics
View Date:2024-12-23 16:04:24
The U.S. Census Bureau is no longer moving forward with a controversial proposal that could have shrunk a key estimated rate of disability in the United States by about 40%, the bureau's director said Tuesday in a blog post.
The announcement comes just over two weeks after the bureau said the majority of the more than 12,000 public comments it received about proposed changes to its annual American Community Survey cited concerns over changing the survey's disability questions.
"Based on that feedback, we plan to retain the current ACS disability questions for collection year 2025," Census Bureau Director Robert Santos said in Tuesday's blog post, adding that the country's largest federal statistical agency will keep working with the public "to better understand data needs on disability and assess which, if any, revisions are needed across the federal statistical system to better address those needs."
The American Community Survey currently asks participants yes-or-no questions about whether they have "serious difficulty" with hearing, seeing, concentrating, walking and other functional abilities.
To align with international standards and produce more detailed data about people's disabilities, the bureau had proposed a new set of questions that would have asked people to rate their level of difficulty with certain activities.
Based on those responses, the bureau was proposing that its main estimates of disability would count only the people who report "A lot of difficulty" or "Cannot do at all," leaving out those who respond with "Some difficulty." That change, the bureau's testing found, could have lowered the estimated share of the U.S. population with any disability by around 40% — from 13.9% of the country to 8.1%.
That finding, along with the proposal's overall approach, sparked pushback from many disability advocates. Some have flagged that measuring disability based on levels of difficulty with activities is out of date with how many disabled people view their disabilities. Another major concern has been how changing this disability data could make it harder to advocate for more resources for disabled people.
Santos said the bureau plans to hold a meeting this spring with disability community representatives, advocates and researchers to discuss "data needs," noting that the bureau embraces "continuous improvement."
In a statement, Bonnielin Swenor, Scott Landes and Jean Hall — three of the leading researchers against the proposed question changes — said they hope the bureau will "fully engage the disability community" after dropping a proposal that many advocates felt was missing input from disabled people in the United States.
"While this is a win for our community, we must stay committed to the long-term goal of developing better disability questions that are more equitable and inclusive of our community," Swenor, Landes and Hall said.
Edited by Benjamin Swasey
veryGood! (719)
Related
- Brian Kelly asks question we're all wondering after Alabama whips LSU, but how to answer?
- NYC officials clear another storefront illegally housing dozens of migrants in unsafe conditions
- 2 buses collide head-on in western Honduras, killing 17 people and injuring 14
- In two days, the Smokehouse Creek Fire has grown to be the second-largest in Texas history
- Agents search home of ex-lieutenant facing scrutiny as police probe leak of school shooting evidence
- Coinbase scrambles to restore digital wallets after some customers saw $0 in their accounts
- Washington state lawmakers consider police pursuit and parents’ rights initiatives
- Oprah chooses The Many Lives of Mama Love as newest book club pick
- Mississippi man charged with shooting 5 people after not being allowed into party
- Mitch McConnell stepping down as Senate GOP leader, ending historic 17-year run
Ranking
- A Pipeline Runs Through It
- Caitlin Clark’s 33-point game moves her past Lynette Woodard for the major college scoring record
- Ex-US Olympic fencer Ivan Lee arrested on forcible touching, sexual abuse, harassment charges
- The FAA gives Boeing 90 days to fix quality control issues. Critics say they run deep
- Detroit-area police win appeal over liability in death of woman in custody
- Better than advertised? Dodgers' $325 million ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominates MLB debut
- Watch live: NASA, Intuitive Machines share updates on Odysseus moon lander
- Kate Middleton's Rep Speaks Out Amid Her Recovery From Abdominal Surgery
Recommendation
-
CFP bracket prediction: SEC adds a fifth team to field while a Big Ten unbeaten falls out
-
Airlines could face more fines for mishandling wheelchairs under a Biden administration proposal
-
Is it safe to eat leftover rice? Here's the truth, according to nutritionists.
-
Small business owners report growing optimism about the U.S. economy
-
Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
-
Andy Reid tops NFL coach rankings in players' survey, Josh McDaniels finishes last
-
Republicans block Senate bill to protect nationwide access to IVF treatments
-
Ferguson, Missouri, to pay $4.5 million to settle claims it illegally jailed thousands