National Council on Disability Recommends Improving Federal Data Describing the Status of Americans with Di...( WASHINGTON April 21 /- The Nation...),Health

WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2008/Indicators_Report.html), calling on the Federal Government to do more now to improve federal data describing the status of Americans with disabilities.

This report is the result of a year-long effort. It describes what is known about the status of people with disabilities in the United States, and examines current data to assess the extent to which they meaningfully measure the well-being of people with disabilities.

According to NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn, "There is much we do not know about the lives of people with disabilities. Currently, the statistics informing the policy debate are predominantly economic, such as employment and household income. Such statistics are helpful, but paint only part of the picture. Other quality of life dimensions are substantially overlooked. Although some surveys cover topics that are related to some aspects of well-being, such as income, assets, or health insurance status, they do not necessarily reflect other aspects of well-being as they would be defined by the target population."

"During the past 30 years, advocates, policymakers, and a variety of public and private organizations have undertaken significant efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities, culminating in the passage or improvement of legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), various sections of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, and others. Notwithstanding these various policies, little effort and progress has been made to measure and reflect upon the overall effectiveness and performance of these la
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