The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

In this report:

Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. The Importance of the Census
3. Census Accuracy: The Undercount (and Overcount)
4. Census 2010: Key Operations and Milestones; How You Can Get Involved
   1. Overview of the census plan
   2. What you need to know
   3. How you can help
5. Additional Information
   1. Frequently asked questions
   2. Facts and figures
   3. Census history

People with disabilities

Census data directly affect funding for many programs critical to individuals with disabilities including programs for education, health care, transportation, employment training, and housing. The federal government uses census information to guide the annual distribution of approximately $15 billion in services to people with disabilities (FY 2007). For example, the information is used to:

• Help state and county agencies plan for eligible recipients under the Medicare, Medicaid, and Supplemental Security Income programs;
• Distribute funds and develop programs for people with disabilities and the elderly under the Rehabilitation Act;
• Distribute funds for housing for people with disabilities under the Housing and Urban Development Act;
• Allocate funds to states and local areas for employment and job training programs for veterans under the Job Training Partnership Act, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program;
• Ensure that comparable public transportation services are available for all segments of the population under the Americans with Disabilities Act;
• Award federal grants, under the Older Americans Act, based on the number of elderly people with physical and mental disabilities;
• Allocate funds for mass transit systems to provide facilities for people with disabilities under the Federal Transit Act;
• Provide housing assistance and supportive services for low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS and their families under the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program; and
• Make available special education for children ages 3 through 5 through Special Education Preschool Grants.

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