The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is looking for public input to help inform its data-driven Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity.
According to a request for information (RFI) published in the Federal Register on Thursday, OSTP explains that the Federal Evidence Agenda on Disability Equity aims to “improve the Federal government’s ability to make data-informed policy decisions that advance equity for the disability community.”
The agenda stems from a directive in President Biden’s February 2023 executive order (EO): Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.
The EO directed the OSTP National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Equitable Data (SED) to coordinate the implementation of recommendations of the Equitable Data Working Group, which is housed within the National Science and Technology Council.
In response to the recommendations, 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.
To help inform the agenda, OSTP is looking for answers to several questions such as what disparities faced by individuals with disabilities are not well-understood through existing Federal statistics and data collection.
Additionally, OSTP wants to know what frameworks for defining and measuring disability should the DDIWG be aware of, as well as which surveys or data collection tools would be valuable in improving the Federal government’s ability to make data-informed decisions that advance equity.
As the Federal government expands its use of disaggregated demographic data, OSTP also wants to know what privacy and confidentiality considerations the DDIWG should keep in mind.
OSTP is looking for responses by July 15.
