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Special Edition eNews
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ACS Changes Will Undercount Americans with Disabilities
Some of you may already be aware that the Census Bureau has proposed changing how disability information is collected in the American Community Survey (ACS).
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Here are the two main things you should know: - The proposed changes will reduce the U.S. disability rate from 13.9% to 8.1%. This doesn’t mean that fewer people experience disability, but that fewer people will be officially “counted” as disabled.
- This change has largely excluded the voices of the disability community and disability scholars.
RTC:Rural staff have been discussing this issue with our national partners to strategize a response. In collaboration with Jean Hall, University of Kansas, we drafted a letter to collect signatures throughout our networks in opposition to this proposal.
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Take action!
You can use this form to view and SIGN ON to the letter. All signatures are due by Monday 11/27 @ 8pm ET. Please share widely with your networks.
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This letter and signature list will be sent to the Census Bureau director and leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Council on Disability, and the Office of Management and Budget.
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Additional opportunities to comment:
- You can also submit your own comments to the National Advisory Committee by Nov 16 @ 10am MT time. Public comments may be emailed with the subject entitled “2023 NAC Fall Meeting Public Comment” to shana.j.banks@census.gov
- Public comments can be posted to the Federal Register through December 19.
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Thank you for considering this important issue! Please contact Andrew Myers with any questions or for additional information: andrew.myers@mso.umt.edu.
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The Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural) conducts research on disability as part of the Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities at the University of Montana.
RTC:Rural is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant number 90RTCP0002 to improve the ability of people with disabilities to engage in rural community living.
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