Proposed Census Bureau Changes to Disability Questions Spark Controversy

Advocates argue the new approach could significantly reduce the count of people with disabilities, impacting resource allocation.

The U.S. Census Bureau is proposing a change in how it asks about disabilities in its comprehensive survey, aiming to align with international standards and capture more nuance.
Disability advocates argue the change could reduce their numbers by almost half, affecting the allocation of vital resources for housing, schools, and program benefits.
The proposed change would allow respondents to answer most disability-related questions with four choices: 'no difficulty,' 'some difficulty,' 'a lot of difficulty,' and 'cannot do at all.'
During testing, the percentage of respondents defined as having a disability went from 13.9% using the current questions to 8.1% under the international standards.
Disability advocates and researchers have recommended that the Census Bureau not adopt the change until further consultation.