Disability Data in the American
Community Survey
Presentation for the 2006 State-of-the-Science
Conference - The Future of Disability Statistics:
What We Know and Need to Know
Sharon M. Stern
Poverty and Health Statistics Branch
U.S. Census Bureau
October 5, 2006
Overview
• What is the American Community Survey
(ACS)?
• ACS Operations
• Current disability items
• 2006 ACS Content Test
– How content for test was developed
– Review of test operations
– Selection criteria
• Update on SIPP and DEWS
2
What is the American Community
Survey (ACS)?
• The ACS is a nationwide survey
designed to provide communities a
fresh look at how they are changing.
• The ACS provides a statistical snapshot
of the community
3
How is ACS household data
collected?
Surveys are mailed every
month to a systematic
sample of addresses in
each county
If a household does
not respond in six
weeks, Census Bureau
staff will attempt to
contact the respondent
by telephone to
complete the survey.
If that, too, fails, a
differential sample
of remaining
addresses will be
visited by Census
Bureau staff for an
in person interview.
4
Response Rates By Mode
Noninterviews
2%
Personal visit
38%
Mail
51%
Phone
9%
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/umi/events/20060623_Waite.pdf
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Group Quarters in ACS
Implemented in 2006
• Questionnaires, introductory letter,
FAQ’s …
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/GQ/index.htm
• Technical Paper – housing units and
group quarters…
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/tp67.pdf
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ACS – Paper Form – Disability
Items
Top of page 8
Bottom of page 7
7
ACS Interagency Committee
Subcommittee for the Disability Questions
• Under the auspices of Office of Management
and Budget
• Chaired by the National Center for Health
Statistics
• Prepared recommendations for the ACS
2006 Content Test
–
–
–
–
Reviewed the legislative need for the data
Determined the main purposes of the data
Focused on meeting the needs given constraints
Conducted cognitive testing on questions
8
Federal Agencies Reviewed for Statutory
and/or Programmatic Requirements for
Disability Data
Examples:
• Department of Commerce – Telecommunications Act
of 1996
• Department of Education – National Education
Reform
• Administration on Aging – Older Americans Act
• Department of Housing and Urban Development –
National Affordable Housing Act
• Department of Transportation – Mass transportation
Elderly and Persons with Disabilities Program
9
Federal Agencies Reviewed for Statutory
and/or Programmatic Requirements for
Disability Data - Findings
Examples:
• Agencies focus on individuals with limitations in
functioning who are more likely to experience a
limitation in participation as well.
• Agencies use the data for two purposes.
– Distribution of benefits, such as SSDI Insurance or Veteran
health benefits
– Provision of opportunities such as access to education,
housing, and communication.
10
Definition of Disability Adapted by the
Subcommittee
• Based on orientation of agency mandates and using
IOM Model of Disability and ICF Model of
Functioning and Disability (WHO)
• Disability - the restriction in participation that results
from a lack of fit between the individual’s functional
limitations and the characteristics of the physical and
social environment.
– Measuring disability then means analyzing the component
concepts that make up the process.
11
Purpose of Disability Measure Recognized
by the Subcommittee
• Equalization of opportunity - identify those
who, without accommodation, are likely to
experience restrictions in participation due to
limitations in functioning
• Identify the population needing assistance to
maintain independence
12
Basis of questions chosen for cognitive
testing
• Domains of functioning that identify the largest
component of the population with disabilities
–
–
–
–
Vision
Hearing
Mobility (walking, climbing stairs)
Cognitive functioning
• Monitoring independent living
– Self-care activities (bathing, dressing)
– Ability to move about the community without help
• Limitation in kind or amount of work
– Included for testing based on its previous use in the Census
and assumptions of its ability to capture persons with mental
health related limitations
13
Cognitive Testing
“Report of Cognitive Research on Proposed American
Community Survey Disability Questions” by Kristen
Miller of the National Center for Health Statistics and
Theresa DeMaio of U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/srd/papers/pdf/ssm2006-06.pdf
– Five rounds of testing between June 2004 and
February 2005
– Testing at NCHS
• face-to-face and telephone interviews
– Testing at Census
• paper questionnaires
– Several wordings for each domain
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Cognitive Testing – Goals
•
•
•
•
Identify respondent interpretations
Identify potential response errors
Improve test questions
Investigate question performance within the
context of three ACS modes: selfadministered paper, telephone interview, inperson interview
15
Cognitive Testing – Recurring Themes
• Regardless of the type of question,
respondents have an internal calculation of
whether a condition or limitation is “severe
enough” to report
• Some people report limitation status with
assistance other report status without
assistance
• Mode tended not to impact respondent’s
interpretation
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Recommendations
16 a. Is this person deaf or does he/she have serious difficulty hearing?
b. Is this person blind or does he/she have serious difficulty seeing
even when wearing glasses?
F) Answer question 17a if this person is 5 years old or over. Otherwise
skip to the questions for Person 2 on page 12.
17 a. Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this
person have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making
decisions?
b. Does this person have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs?
c. Does this person have difficulty dressing or bathing?
G) Answer questions 18 if this person is 15 years old or over. Otherwise
skip to the questions for Person 2 on page 12.
18. Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, does this
person have difficulty doing errands alone such as visiting a doctor's
office or shopping?
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2006 ACS Content Test
• A variety of objectives for testing
– Content: e.g.. disability and health insurance
– Form layout: e.g.. horizontal v. vertical roster
• Two versions of disability items
– Control: ACS current production questions
– Test: Recommendation from interagency work group
• Research Questions
– Does the new set have more consistent reporting?
– Does the new set have improved item response?
– Where do these people’s disabilities fall on a spectrum of
difficulty with specific activities?
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How was the ACS Content Test
data collected?
Surveys were
mailed to a
sample of
addresses.
If no mail response
was received, Census
Bureau staff will
attempt to contact the
address in person to
complete the survey.
All respondents
were part of a
content follow-up
conducted by
telephone.
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Summary of Disability Topics
Control
Test
(ACS Current Production)
(Interagency Recommendation)
Label
Item #
Label
Item #
Hearing Disability
16a
Seeing Disability
16b
Sensory Disability
16a
Physical Disability
16b
Mobility Disability
17b
Mental Disability
17a
Cognitive Disability
17a
Self-care Disability
17b
Self-care Disability
17c
Go-outside-home
Disability
18a
Independent-living
Disability
18
Employment
Disability
18b
----------
----------
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Summary of How “Test” Differs from
“Control”– Part 1
• The hearing and vision concepts are separate
questions in the test version
• The hearing and vision questions on the test version
include children under 5 years old, since the skip
instruction was after these items.
• The vision question includes the qualifier “even when
wearing glasses.”
• The hearing, vision, and mobility questions are
simpler, omitting key terms/phrases of “long-lasting
condition” and “impairment.”
21
Summary of How “Test” Differs from
“Control”– Part 2
• The phrase “Does this person have [serious]
difficulty” is included in the test version
before each function or activity.
• The test does not use terms like
“substantially limits” or “long-lasting” or
“lasting 6 months or more”
• The test set does not include a work disability
item.
Please see the information sheet for more details.
22
Selection Criteria
• Is the reliability for the test version equal to or
better than the control?
– For example, is the reliability for the vision and
hearing questions in the test version equal to or
better than the vision and hearing question in the
control version?
– Adjusted Simple Response Variance
• Are the item nonresponse rates for the test
version less than or equal to that of the
control?
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Survey of Income and Program
Participation – Dynamics of
Economic Well Being System
SIPP
General Information:
DEWS
http://www.sipp.census.gov/sipp/
dews.html
http://www.sipp.census.gov/sipp/
Topical Modules
– Functional Limitations
and Disability, June to
September 2005
– Panels 1984 - 2004
http://www.sipp.census.gov/sipp/top_m
od/top_mods_chart.html
• Reengineering the SIPP - PDF
presentation by David Johnson,
Chief, HHES at the U.S. Census
Bureau
• Reengineering the SIPP:
Brookings/Census Roundtable
(MS Word document)
• August 24, 2006 Stakeholder
Presentation
• Presentation Stakeholder matrix
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Contacts
Sharon M. Stern
301-763-5638
sharon.m.stern@census.gov
Matthew Brault
301-763-5637
matthew.w.brault@census.gov
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