Notice2024-11838
Notice of Availability and Request for Information; Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity
Primary source
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Published
May 30, 2024
Issuing agencies
Science and Technology Policy Office
Abstract
Through this Request for information (RFI), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks input from the public to help inform the development of the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity. Executive Order 14091 on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (February 16, 2023) directed the OSTP National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate implementation of recommendations of the Equitable Data Working Group. To address the recommendations relevant to disability, the SED established the Disability Data Interagency Working Group (DDIWG). The DDIWG is tasked with the development and release of a Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity, in order to improve the Federal government's ability to make data-informed policy decisions that advance equity for the disability community.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 105 (Thursday, May 30, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 105 (Thursday, May 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46924-46926]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11838]
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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Notice of Availability and Request for Information; Federal
Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity
AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
ACTION: Request for information (RFI).
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SUMMARY: Through this Request for information (RFI), the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks input from the
public to help inform the development of the Federal Evidence Agenda on
Disability Equity. Executive Order 14091 on Further Advancing Racial
Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government (February 16, 2023) directed the OSTP National Science and
Technology Council Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate
implementation of recommendations of the Equitable Data Working Group.
To address the recommendations relevant to disability, the SED
established the Disability Data Interagency Working Group (DDIWG). The
DDIWG is tasked with the development and release of a Federal Evidence
Agenda on Disability Equity, in order to improve the Federal
government's ability to make data-informed policy decisions that
advance equity for the disability community.
DATES: Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit
comments on or before July 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Interested individuals and organizations should submit
comments electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>. Information on how to use <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>,
including instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting
comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site under
``FAQ'' (<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/faq">https://www.regulations.gov/faq</a>).
Instructions for Submission: OSTP has provided some key questions
on which public insights would be most valuable (see Supplementary
Information, Part II). You may respond
[[Page 46925]]
to some or all of these questions, and additional feedback beyond these
questions is also welcome. Any links you provide to online materials or
presentations must be publicly accessible. Please feel free to share
this RFI with colleagues or others for feedback.
Privacy Act Statement: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Please
note that all submissions received in response to this notice may be
posted on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> or otherwise released in their
entirety.
Do not include in your submissions any copyrighted material;
information of a confidential nature, such as personal or proprietary
information; or any information you would not like to be made publicly
available. Individuals and organizations who respond to this RFI may be
contacted for additional clarification.
OSTP will not respond to individual submissions. A response to this
RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the
project or ideas discussed. This RFI is not accepting applications for
financial assistance or financial incentives.
Responses containing references, studies, research, and other
empirical data that are not widely published should include copies of
or electronic links to the referenced materials. Responses from minors,
or responses containing profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other
inappropriate language or content will not be considered.
Comments submitted in response to this notice are subject to the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Please note that the United States
Government will not pay for response preparation, or for the use of any
information contained in a response.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#26424f5547444f4a4f525f4247524766495552560843495608414950"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="06626f7567646f6a6f727f6267726746697572762863697628616970">[email protected]</span></a> with ``Federal Evidence Agenda on
Disability Equity RFI'' in the subject line, or contact Adam Politis,
Senior Policy for Disability and Equity, at 202-881-8448. Individuals
who use telecommunication devices for the deaf and hard of hearing
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24
hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Executive Order (E.O.) 13985 on Advancing Racial Equity and Support
for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (January 20,
2021) established the Equitable Data Working Group (EDWG) to study
existing Federal data collection policies, programs, and capabilities
and provide recommendations for increasing data available for measuring
equity and representing the diversity of the American people.
Subsequently, E.O. 14091 on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support
for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (February
16, 2023) directed the White House Office of Science and Technology
Policy (OSTP) National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on
Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate implementation of the
recommendations of the EDWG.
To address the recommendations relevant to disability, the SED
established the Disability Data Interagency Working Group (DDIWG). The
DDIWG is tasked with the development and release of a Federal Evidence
Agenda on Disability Equity, in order to improve the Federal
Government's ability to make data-informed policy decisions that
advance equity for the disability community.
The Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity will:
i. Describe disparities faced by individuals with disabilities that
could be better understood through Federal statistics and data
collection, such as disparities in health, employment, educational, and
other outcomes, or in Federal program participation.
ii. Identify, in coordination with agency staff, Federal data
collections where improved disability data collection may be important
for advancing the Federal Government's ability to measure disparities
facing individuals with disabilities; and
iii. Identify practices for all Federal agencies engaging in
disability data collection to follow in order to safeguard privacy,
security, and civil rights, including with regard to appropriate and
robust practices of consent for the collection of this data and
restrictions on its use or transfer.
We invite members of the public to share perspectives on how the
DDIWG should address these requirements in the Federal Evidence Agenda
on Disability Equity. OSTP seeks responses to one, some, or all of the
questions that follow.
II. Topics and Key Questions
Describing Disparities
In its March 2023 progress report, the Subcommittee on Equitable
Data states, ``At its core, the principle of equitable data is about
disaggregating and analyzing data to identify disparities in federal
policies and programs, using levers of the federal government to
address those disparities, and then enabling members of the public to
hold government accountable.'' With this in mind, OSTP seeks response
to the following questions:
1. What disparities faced by individuals with disabilities are not
well-understood through existing Federal statistics and data
collection?
2. What types of community-based or non-Federal statistics or data
collections could help inform the creation of the Federal Evidence
Agenda on Disability Equity?
3. Community-based research has indicated that individuals with
disabilities experience disparities in a broad range of areas. What
factors or criteria should the DDIWG consider when considering policy
research priorities?
Informing Data Collections and Public Access
Ultimately, individual agencies decide what data to collect and
publish through their surveys and forms, taking into account
considerations like informed consent, privacy risk, statistical rigor,
intended use of the data, budget, burden to respondents, and more. With
that in mind, OSTP seeks response to the following questions:
1. Disability can be defined and measured in multiple ways. Federal
surveys and administrative data collections use different definitions
of disability and measure it in different ways depending upon the
goal(s) of data collection. What frameworks for defining and measuring
disability or specific considerations should the DDIWG be aware of?
2. In some instances, there are multiple surveys or data collection
tools that could be used to collect data about a particular disparity
faced by the disability community. In addition to factors like sample
size, timeliness of the data, and geographic specificity of related
data products, what other factors should be considered when determining
which survey or data collection tool would best generate the relevant
data? Which surveys or data collection tools would be uniquely valuable
in improving the Federal Government's ability to make data-informed
decisions that advance equity for the disability community, and why?
3. Are there any Federal surveys or administrative data collection
tools for which you would recommend the Federal Government should not
explore collecting disability data due to privacy risk, the creation of
barriers to participation in Federal programs, or other reasons? Which
collections or type
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of collections are they, and why would you make this recommendation?
4. How can Federal agencies increase public response rates to
questions about disability in order to improve sample sizes and
population coverage?
5. What barriers may individuals with disabilities face when
participating in surveys or filling out administrative forms?
6. Disaggregated data--data about groups separated out by
disability, race/ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation,
geography, income level, veteran status, rural/urban location, and
other factors--are essential for identifying and remediating
disparities in how the government serves American communities. Which
data disaggregated by disability that are currently collected by
Federal agencies are useful? Which data disaggregated by disability are
not currently collected by Federal agencies and would be useful, and
why?
7. How can Federal agencies best raise public awareness about the
existence of sources of disability data? How can Federal agencies best
communicate with the public about methodological constraints to
collecting data or publishing disability statistics?
8. How do individuals and organizations external to the Federal
Government utilize data from Federal surveys and administrative data
collections? Which practices employed by Federal agencies facilitate
access to and use of these data? Are there additional practices that
would be beneficial?
Privacy, Security, and Civil Rights
The EDWG recommended that ``. . . as the federal government expands
its use of disaggregated demographic data, it must be intentional about
when data are collected and shared, as well as how data are protected
so as not to exacerbate the vulnerability of members of underserved
communities, many of whom face the heightened risk of harm if their
privacy is not protected.'' Though previous work by the SED has
identified how privacy, confidentiality, and civil rights practices
apply to other marginalized groups, OSTP seeks input on privacy,
confidentiality, and civil rights considerations that are unique to the
disability community and/or are experienced differently by individuals
with disabilities. Accordingly, OSTP seeks response to the following
questions:
1. What specific privacy and confidentiality considerations should
the DDIWG keep in mind when determining promising practices for the
Federal collection of data for administrative purposes, such as
applications for programs or benefits, compliance forms, and human
resources and restrictions on their use or transfer?
2. Unique risks may exist when collecting disability data in the
context of both surveys and administrative forms. Please tell us about
specific risks Federal agencies should think about when considering
whether to collect these data in surveys or administrative contexts.
3. Once disability data have been collected for administrative or
statistical purposes, what considerations should Federal agencies be
aware of concerning retention of these data? Please tell us how privacy
or confidentiality protections could mitigate or change these concerns.
4. Where administrative data are used to enforce civil rights
protections, such as in employment, credit applications, healthcare
settings, or education settings, what considerations should the DDIWG
keep in mind when determining promising practices for the collection of
these data and restrictions on its use or transfer?
Dated: May 24, 2024.
Stacy Murphy,
Deputy Chief Operations Officer/Security Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-11838 Filed 5-29-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3270-F1-P
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