COMPARING DISABILITY PREVALENCE
In early 2000, the Family and Community Statistics Section within ABS asked Analysis Branch to undertake a project on disability. This involved comparing the disability prevalence rates suggested by the different questionnaire modules used in various ABS surveys.
The term 'disability' covers a wide range of impairments, limitations and restrictions. Interpretation of these varies from person to person; even for the same person, the interpretation may vary across time. People may be reluctant or unable to identify themselves as having particular types of disability. Furthermore, responses to a disability question may be sensitive to the survey context; asking questions about other topics before asking the questions on disability may encourage or discourage a positive response.
An important source of national data on disability is the ABS Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC), conducted every five years. Apart from SDAC, ABS has included disability modules in some other household surveys, such as the Household Expenditure Survey (1993-94 and 1998-99), the Survey of Education and Training (1992 and 1997), the Survey of Employment and Unemployment Patterns (1995) and the Time Use Surveys (1992 and 1997).
Users ask the following questions : How comparable are the disability populations identified by the modules in the non-SDAC surveys, with the populations identified in the SDAC? How similar or relatable are they in terms of age, sex and severity of handicap? Is it meaningful to use these populations (provided by the non-SDAC surveys) to look at disability?
The analysis is now completed. Results were presented to the project board which met on the 20th December 2000. The most important result was that the number of persons with a disability is significantly different between surveys, so users of data from the different sources need to be careful. The project board asked that the methods and results be written up in several papers for ABS and non-ABS audiences.
For further information, please contact Ravi Ravindiran on (02) 6252 7039.
Email: ravi.ravindiran@abs.gov.au
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