Project Description:
Importance of the Problem. Large quantities of survey data and administrative records related to people with disabilities are collected each year. Yet these data lack continuity and are underutilized, leading to missed opportunities to improve the programs and policies that advance the lives of people with disabilities. Policymakers, program administrators, service providers, researchers, advocates for people with disabilities, and people with disabilities and their families need accessible, valid data and statistics to support their decisions related to policy improvements, program administration, service delivery, protection of civil rights, and major life activities.
Mission. The proposed Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC) will facilitate evidence-based decision making in many different service and policy arenas to benefit persons with disabilities, leading to improved education and employment outcomes.
Staff. The proposed StatsRRTC is a collaborative effort that brings together the lead investigators from three current RRTCs: the StatsRRTC, Employment Service System RRTC, and Employment Policy RRTC, and partners them with leaders in the disability advocacy community from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and leaders in vocational rehabilitation from the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR). This team represents a variety of disciplines (such as vocational rehabilitation, special education, survey research, and economics), and years of experience in research, services delivery and administration, and policy advocacy.
Activities. We will carry out an integrated set of nine research and 12 outreach projects that builds on our work under the current StatsRRTC. We will (a) produce a set of guides to and meta-analyses of existing survey and administrative data sources, (b) conduct experiments to test alternative survey methods, (c) expand and distribute the Annual Disability Status Reports, (d) expand and revise the Source Guide for Surveying People with Disabilities, (e) provide an information and referral technical assistance service, (f) provide stylized statistical estimates and methodological consulting for key stakeholders as a follow-up to outreach and training activities, (g) and conduct training designed to build capacity among consumers and within the state federal vocational rehabilitation system and other support services systems related to data collection and analysis, secondary data analysis, and reporting processes.
Outcomes. Our goals are to (1) improve knowledge of and access to existing data, (2) generate the knowledge needed to improve future disability data collection, and (3) strengthen connections between the data from and regarding respondents, researchers, and decision makers. In this way, we hope to facilitate evidenced-based decision making that will improve service systems and ultimately lead to the improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities.
Core Function(s):
Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Performing Research or Evaluation, Developing & Disseminating Information
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban
