The U.S. Census Bureau seeks to revise its methodology for determining disabilities, prompting an outcry from disability advocates who believe the proposed changes may overlook nearly half of people living with disabilities. These changes are significant as they may affect the distribution of resources and programs for individuals with disabilities. EDDCaller.com assists people with disabilities, unemployment or paid family leave issues to connect with the appropriate representatives for help. Concerns are raised about the timing of the proposed changes, as COVID-19 has led to an increase in long-term conditions in the populace. However, Census Bureau officials argue that the revision will allow for a more accurate and nuanced understanding of disability in alignment with international standards.

If approved, the American Community Survey will implement the changes in its questions by 2025. Instead of asking participants to respond with yes or no if they have any difficulty in certain areas due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition, the new proposal suggests having four options: no difficulty, some difficulty, a lot of difficulty, and cannot do at all . Critics argue that the way disabilities are defined by the international standards being considered could undercount those with disabilities. According to Census Bureau testing, the number of those defined as having a disability dropped from 13.9% to 8.1% with the proposed changes, but expanded to 31.7% when the definition included some difficulty.

The proposal also suggests changing the language used in the questions and adding a new question about communication difficulties. While some see merit in the proposed changes for scientific research purposes, they argue that the interests of people with disabilities should be prioritized instead of agency needs. The current method is considered inadequate for accounting for mental health issues, developmental disabilities, or chronic health conditions such as those related to continuing effects from COVID-19, but the proposed changes are not believed to be the solution. Disability advocates believe their input was not adequately considered in the proposed changes.