A group of researchers are expressing concern about �the proposed switch from the six disability questions used in the American Community Survey (ACS) to the Washington Group Short Set (WGSS) of questions.�
The letter, sent on October 18, 2023 to the director of the U.S. Census Bureau, worried that, �the WGSS disability questions,� which are produced by a UN group, �will produce lower disability prevalence estimates than the ACS questions.�
As discussed in a news article in Science, �The ACS uses a set of six yes-or-no questions�related to difficulty with hearing, vision, and other functions�to determine disability status. A respondent who answers �yes� to any of those questions is counted as disabled. Many state and federal programs rely on ACS data when allocating funding, and the data are used to evaluate whether disabled people are being given equal opportunities when it comes to things like housing, education, and health care. But the ACS is also a vital resource for researchers.�
The WGSS approach �also consists of six questions that cover the same topics as the ACS questions,� according to the article, but rather than yes or no answers, �respondents rate their level of difficulty on each function by choosing one of four options ranging from ‘no difficulty’ to ‘cannot do at all’.�
The Census Bureau is currently accepting comments on these and other proposed revisions to the ACS and Puerto Rico Community Survey through December 19. Additional information about the changes and how to submit comments was published in an October 20 Federal Register notice.
The Census Project Co-Directors�communicated their concerns regarding Amendment #191�which proposes taking $50 million from the Census Bureau to support enhanced security at the 2024 presidential conventions.
