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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Data Limitations In The American Community Survey: The Impact On Rural Disability Research, Lillie Greiman, University Of Montana Rural Institute Oct 2017

Data Limitations In The American Community Survey: The Impact On Rural Disability Research, Lillie Greiman, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

The American Community Survey (ACS) provides disability data across a wide range of variables and geographies. In fact, the ACS provides county-level disability data for variables such as gender, race, veteran status, poverty status and employment for people with disabilities. This is beneficial to rural disability researchers as rural is most commonly classified at the county level. However, though the ACS is a rich and comprehensive data source it is not without limitations. Rural researchers in particular are acutely aware of these limitations. The ACS provides data estimates for disability in rural counties but because of the survey design these …


Prevalence Of Disability: Individual And Household Context, Christiane Von Reichert, University Of Montana Rural Institute Jun 2017

Prevalence Of Disability: Individual And Household Context, Christiane Von Reichert, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a widely used source of disability data. These data put individual disability rates in the US at 12% -13%, or 1 in 8. However, by considering the household context, the impact of disability is considerably greater than disability data for individuals would suggest. At the household level, disability affects approximately 78 million people, or 25% of the U.S. population. This analysis shows that millions of Americans without disabilities are influenced by household member with disabilities, highlighting that the impact of disability at the household level goes beyond the number of individuals with disabilities.