Jan 15 -- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) announces its intention to ask OMB to approve the July 2021 Current Population Survey (CPS) Disability Supplement and invites public comment by March 16, 2021.
The July 2021 CPS Disability Supplement will be conducted at the request of the Department of Labor's Chief Evaluation Office. The Disability Supplement will provide information on the low labor force participation rates for people with disabilities; the use of and satisfaction with programs that prepare people with disabilities for employment; the work history, barriers to employment, and workplace accommodations reported by persons with a disability; and the effect of financial assistance programs on the likelihood of working. For employed people with disabilities, the survey will gather data on their level of difficulty completing work duties; whether they requested accommodations in the workplace and the nature of the accommodations; modes of commuting; and whether they work at home, have flexible hours, or have temporary jobs. Since the supplement was last collected in 2019, work patterns have changed, policies have changed, and assistive technologies have advanced due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Having updated information will be valuable in determining how employment barriers have changed for people with disabilities. No new questions are proposed for the July 2021 collection.
Because the Disability Supplement is part of the CPS, the same detailed demographic information collected in the CPS will be available about respondents to the supplement. Thus, comparisons will be possible across respondent characteristics, including sex, race, ethnicity, age, and educational attainment. It will also be possible to create estimates for those who are employed, unemployed, and not in the labor force.
Data gathered in this supplement will help measure the effectiveness of disability employment policies and assist policy makers in developing future policies that further the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The U.S. Department of Labor is interested in discerning the use and effectiveness of workforce development programs that prepare people with disabilities for employment. Results will be used to determine options for improving workforce development programs, such as enhancing the physical, programmatic, and communications accessibility of the workforce development system.
There are many financial assistance programs, such as SSI/SSDI, Medicare/Medicaid, TANF, and benefits counseling, that assist people with disabilities who are trying to enter or reenter the workforce. There is limited information about the effectiveness of these programs. Results will be used for improving workforce development programs by ensuring that these financial assistance programs are available to people with disabilities who access these centers.
2019 CPS Disability Supplement:
https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/2019/demo/cps/cps-disability.html
Draft 2021 CPS Disability Supplement supporting statement and questionnaire:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/x7cqlz00p182h5n/AAA9Us2d6b9b_BgbgJNojARma?dl=0
FR notice inviting comment:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/15/2021-00845/information-collection-activities-comment-request
Point of contact: Dorinda Allard, BLS Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics allard.dorinda@bls.gov (202) 691-6470
