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** We need your voice!

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Dear CPWD Community,

The Census Bureau is changing how it collects data about disabilities. The change might lower the estimated number of disabled people from 14% to 8%. This could lead to less support and funding for people with disabilities.

We need your help to prevent the Census Bureau from undercounting people with disabilities. You can speak up in two ways: join the live virtual Census committee meeting on November 16 at 11:15 am ET (https://www.census.gov/about/cac/nac/meetings/2023-11-meeting.html) , or submit a comment online by December 19, 2023 (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/20/2023-23249/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for#open-comment) . You can keep your comments private if you want. We've included some example comments at the end that you can use.

For more info on the changes to the Census questions about disabilities, check out the background section below. You're welcome to use this info for your comments.

Background on Disability Prevalence Estimates:

How are they changing things? The Census Bureau used to ask six questions to estimate disability (https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/Disability.pdf) . Now they're switching to the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS) questions (https://www.washingtongroup-disability.com/fileadmin/uploads/wg/Washington_Group_Questionnaire__1_-_WG_Short_Set_on_Functioning__October_2022_.pdf) . Both surveys ask about difficulties in six functions, like seeing and hearing. But there are differences:

* The old survey had yes/no questions, while the new one rates difficulty on a 4-point scale.

* The new survey doesn't ask about difficulty with daily activities like running errands.

* It asks about hearing issues even if someone uses hearing aids, unlike the old survey.

* Also, the new questions don't mention if the difficulty is due to a condition or how serious it is.

What's the problem with this change? (https://www.washingtongroup-disability.com/fileadmin/uploads/wg/Documents/An_Introduction_to_the_WG_Questions_Sets__2_June_2020_.pdf) The new survey counts only those who mark "a lot of difficulty" or "unable to do at all" as disabled. This leaves out many people with milder disabilities who still need support. Comparisons show the new survey might cut disability estimates by half.

Why does this matter? (https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/about/qbyqfact/Disability.pdf) Governments use these estimates to plan for housing, emergencies, transit, and more. Undercounting will mean less support for the whole disabled community. It might also make policymakers focus only on severe disabilities.

What about the old survey? (https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.00395) It also underestimates disabilities, especially mental health issues. The new one could make it worse by missing people who use assistive technologies.

What can you do? Share your thoughts at the Census committee meeting or online. Let's push for a better, more inclusive questionnaire. Switching to the new survey isn't the right move.

Thanks!

Click Here to View Sample Public Comment (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iPDe9_rrnsJDB5-CX4DgrTGy0UoOYshJo27AtmsmDvk/edit?usp=sharing)

Submit a comment at the upcoming live virtual Census committee meeting on November 16 at 11:15 am to 12 pm ET (https://www.census.gov/about/cac/nac/meetings/2023-11-meeting.html)

Submit a comment online by December 19, 2023 at 11:59 pm ET (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/10/20/2023-23249/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-to-the-office-of-management-and-budget-omb-for#open-comment)

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Email CPWD (mailto:craig@cpwd.org?subject=Ask%20A%20Question)

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