public comment

In an effort to obtain more nuanced information and to bring US disability data in line with international standards, the Census Bureau is recommending replacing yes/no questions with performance scales, such as:

Does this person have trouble walking?

1. No Difficulty
2. Some Difficulty
3. A Lot of Difficulty
4. Cannot Do At All

One federal agency has recommended that only answers C and D would meet the definition of a “disability,” vs. a “condition.” 

“Millions of disabled people will no longer count, which is just the latest in the historic struggle to be seen as a significant community that matters,” says author and disability activist Alice Wong, founder of the Disability Visibility Project. 

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TravelAbility TakeAway: This approach to redefining “disability” could have far-reaching implications for federal funding for accessibillity. We’ll be tracking the progress of the debate leading up to the next period of public comment in the Spring.