Removing Barriers to Survey Participation for Persons with Disabilities

Policymakers are exploring ways to include people with disabilities more fully in society. Part of that inclusion effort is to make sure that they can participate in key surveys, and that these surveys accurately identify their abilities as well as any challenges and impairments. Since the 1980s, Mathematica has been conducting successful, innovative surveys of this population. This paper synthesizes findings from our surveys for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Social Security Administration and provides lessons for conducting surveys of people with disabilities.