Disability Data in the American Community Survey

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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

2
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

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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

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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.
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Response Rates By Mode
http//www.brookings.edu/metro/umi/events/20060623
_Waite.pdf
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Group Quarters in ACSImplemented in 2006

• Questionnaires, introductory letter, FAQs
  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
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ACS Interagency CommitteeSubcommittee 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

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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

10
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.

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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
  individuals functional limitations and the
  characteristics of the physical and social
  environment.
• Measuring disability then means analyzing the
  component concepts that make up the process.

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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

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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

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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.pd
  f
• 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 self-administered
  paper, telephone interview, in-person interview

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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 respondents
  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 peoples 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
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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.

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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.
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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
• 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_mod/top_mods_c
  hart.html

• DEWS
• http//www.sipp.census.gov/sipp/ dews.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_at_census.gov
• Matthew Brault
• 301-763-5637
• matthew.w.brault_at_census.gov