“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%,” announced on 2/6/2024. Able South Carolina is thrilled to learn that the Census Bureau, after listening to the thousands of comments provided by disability rights advocates, is dropping plans to change questions about disability that are currently included in the American Community Survey.
Public comment was requested in September, and Able South Carolina participated. We, alongside many disability-focused organizations, expressed our concern that the changes would lead to a large undercount of our disability population, leading to reduced funding for the many critical programs our community relies on, as well as a loss of data needed to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are considered. At the time the Census Bureau did not consult the disability community about the changes.
You can learn more about our opinion by reading the comments we submitted.