Don’t Let Disabilities Disable Your Community

Needs Assessment for Individuals with Disabling Conditions

According to the United States Census Bureau, disabilities affect one-fifth of all Americans.  The Census Bureau also believes that individuals with disabilities will increase in coming decades because of aging America.  Therefore, conducting a survey of your community’s citizens will provide information on which disability issues are most important to those in your community.

 
In America, about 54 million people have a disability, 26 million of these have a disability that is severe (McNeil, 1998).

 
Listed below is a message from parents whose children have disabilities:
“Our society has an underlying value structure that makes us think of a disability in terms of “tragedy,” having an “impaired body” or being “abnormal.”  We must change this negative definition.  Many things that make a person “disabled” have to do with not having access to his or her environment.  A flight of stairs makes a person who uses a wheelchair disabled.  Put in a ramp and the disability disappears – until that person gets to a narrow doorway.” (Greenstein, 1998)
The underlying concept of this message displays the importance for a community to become involved in assessing its needs.  Discovering the needs of a community provides a framework for solving issues.  By resolving the issues, boundaries are no longer obstacles to the development of a healthy community.


 
Survey Assessment
Material & Methods
The survey tool is six pages and covers a wide range of questions to provide the community with as much detail as possible.   The topics included in the survey are as follows:
Priorities for County to Address
Background Information
Transportation Recreational & Social Opportunities
Health Care Attendant Care
Education School and Transition
Employment Housing
Assitive devices Community Accessibility
Support Independent Living Skills Training
** A large part of the survey was adapted from the Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living.



 
Approaches used to Accomplish Goals
Use demographic information to determine most effective medium
  • Adams County population is 61% rural
  • Large number of Amish in community who don’t have telephones
    		•
    Action: Bulk mailing to all rural addresses
  • Number of urban special care facilities
  • Facilities cannot provide information on their clients
    		•
    Action: Contact special interest groups affiliated with the facilities in order to reach individuals

     
    Examples of Special Interest Groups
    Aging and In Home Services Bi-County Services
    Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Society of Crippled Child
    Division of Family and Children Step Ahead/First Steps
    Family Centered Services Family Health Clinic
    Pathways Adult Day Care Social Security Administration
    Division of Disabilities, Aging and Rehab Services

     
    • Keep costs minimal
    • Find the simplest process to get a survey completed and returned
    Action: Contact local businesses for drop-off sites to allow individuals as many locations as possible to return completed surveys
    Examples of Local Businesses
    Local Banks Grocery Stores Convenience Stores


     
    Choosing Priorities
    Utilize this information to determine what issues the community would like to see addressed:
     
    Prevention of Disabilities Employment Early Intervention
    Service Coordination Educational Services Health Services
    Housing/Living Arrangements Personal Assistants Transportation
    Self-Determination Community Accessibility Public Attitudes

    Demographic Information
    Specific personal information is obtained from each survey completed.
    The following topics are expanded in the survey tool:
    • Current Living Situation
    • Main Disabling Condition
    • Any Other Disabling Conditions
    • Age
    • Gender
    • Race
    • Highest Level of Education
    • Employment Status
    • Veteran Status
    • Annual Household Income

     
    Issues Examined
    Issues Issue Topics
    Transportation
    • Primary Source of Transportation
    • Public or Private Transportation Availability
    Recreational and Social Opportunities
    • Affect of Disability on Participation
    • List Barriers to Participation
    • Religious Participation Before and After
    Health Care
    • Affordability
    • Obtainability
    Attendant Care Necessity
    Education Satisfaction of Education Experience
    School and Transition
    For parents of disabled children
    • Knowledge of Available Programs for Disabled Children
    • Satisfaction of School Cooperation
    • Knowledge of Available Support Programs
    Employment
    • Availability of Jobs in Community
    • Satisfaction with Job Placement Assistance
    • Desire to Obtain Work
    Housing Obtainability of Accessible Housing
    Assistive Devices
    • Ability to Locate
    • Affordability
    Community Accessibility Satisfaction of Public Services
    • Buildings
    • Restrooms
    • Drinking Fountains
    • Parking Spaces
    Support Interest of Support Groups
    Independent Living Skills Training
    • List Necessary Training Needed
    • List Skills Training of Most Importance

    Data Tabulation
     
    • Tabulation can be done with any spreadsheet software
    • Yes/no format allows for easy tabulation
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Strengths
    • Learning the needs of individuals with disabilities in the community
    • Demographics of a smaller county allow a bulk mailing to be conducted.
    • Feasible
    • Survey tool was mostly yes/no questions.
    Weaknesses
    • Difficult to conduct a thorough survey without receiving duplicates
    • Impossible to receive 100% of surveys from all applicable individuals
    • Certain disabled citizens are unable to complete the survey (i.e. vision, other conditions)

    Summary
    In Adams County we used a bulk mailing to deliver the survey to all rural residents.  We also utilized special interest groups to work with disabled citizens in our urban areas.  The concept of utilizing the school system for delivering the survey was discussed, and should be considered if the survey is conducted during the school year.  Including school systems would allow special needs children and families the opportunity to be a part of the survey.  By returning the surveys to local businesses, Adams County was able to keep the costs for the survey lower.  By having drop-off point, return postage was not an expense.  The survey was conducted for less than $3700, which is a reasonable amount, after discovering that a large polling firm wanted more than $10000 to conduct a random survey for one county.
    Expense
    Adams County
    Polling Firm
    Printing $2989  
    Postage $433  
    Labor $278  
    Total $3700 $10000
     
    The completed surveys were tabulated using Microsoft Excel, but could be tabulated with any other spreadsheet software.  The survey was easy to tabulate because of the yes/no question format.  The yes/no format also made the survey easier for people to complete.  A large part of the survey was adapted from the Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living.
     

    The population of the United States will always have to deal with issues of citizens with disabilities.  As the baby boomer generation ages we will have more disabled citizens to provide assistance and understanding.  Therefore, as a society we need to define the needs of individuals who have disabilities, which will provide summarized thoughts to the community.  Providing summarized thoughts to the community will allow citizens with disabilities a means to participate more effectively and become more involved with active roles in the community.

    References & Sources

     
    Greenstein, Doreen B., Physical Differences and Impairments, 1998, URL Address www.nncc.org
    McNeil, John, U.S. Census Bureau, The Official Statistics, September 21, 1998
    Southern Indiana Center for Independent Living
    Governor’s Planning Council for People with Disabilities
    Purdue Extension, www.ces.purdue.edu/