Sunday, May 07, 2000
Census oversights irritate many in disabled community
No matter how good the intentions may be, sometimes finding the right information — or doing the right thing — is hard, even for the experts.
I started hearing from bewildered citizens back in early March about the apparent lack of insight demonstrated by the U.S. Census Bureau in launching its 2000 citizen-finding campaign. People with disabilities, in particular, were expressing a variety of concerns.
How, asked people with visual impairments, can our Census Bureau proudly announce the availability of forms in five foreign languages and yet fail to consider the necessity of large print or Braille?
How, asked people with physical disabilities, could citizens dependent on government programs for health care benefits feel less than vulnerable in disclosing their particular needs for personal care assistance?
To complicate the reading of attitudes even further, no two people from the same disability group seem to read the method or degree of information requested in the same way.
“I'm tired of people communicating with me in ineffective ways,” lamented Jean Parker, a Colorado-based broadcast journalist who is blind. “If they can't send me a form I can read, I'm just going to throw it away. If someone comes knocking on my door, and is willing to fill out the form, I'll talk to them. Otherwise, they can send me some thing I can read.”
John McCann, a Virginia-based Social Security staffer who is blind, has a completely different reaction. “We live in a print- based environment,” he says simply. “Every person who can't read print knows that you're going to need a few hours a week with a sighted reader to do paperwork. I had no problem having someone fill out the Census form for me.”
People with physical disabilities, too, reacted differently to the questions asked. Some were glad to know that a government agency considered their needs worthy of data compilation, while others feel that questions regarding personal assistance needs are invasive.
Corinne Kirchner, director of policy research and program evaluation for the American Foundation for the Blind in New York, says the situation with the 2000 Census is a perfect example of how the disability community and even large organizations need work in learning to connect with one another.
“After 30 years in the field of disability,” Ms. Kirchner said, “I still didn't know that representation was needed on the Census advisory committee until very recently. We (disability representatives and large government entities) all need help in finding one another.”
As the only representative from the field of disability in an advisory committee of some 40 individuals, Ms. Kirchner said she has no doubt the intention to represent all minority groups was commendable. American Indians, African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians and others were all well-represented in the Census 2000 efforts.
Carol Shea, a Cincinnati market researcher and Census advisory board member, agrees. “They know now that there were some real oversights,” she said, “and are working to correct what they can.”
For those who chose not to complete the form or were unable to do so due to its print inaccessibility, there are more opportunities to be counted.
3 Census volunteers will attempt to reach every household that did not return a completed form. In addition, Ms. Shea said, plans are under way for a more frequent survey, possibly an annual one, beginning perhaps as soon as 2002.
By then, maybe the forms will be available in Braille and large print — and not just English and Spanish.
Cincinnati writer Deborah Kendrick is a nationally recognized advocate for people with disabilities. E-mail dkendrick@enquirer.com or write her at Cincinnati Enquirer, Tempo, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202.
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