Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics conducts survey about needs of hearing impaired
The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics announced the start of the “Study of the Needs of the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico” encuesta to collect information, data, and statistics about this group.
The study will serve as a basis to develop new public policies that promote quality services and their better integration into the rest of society, promoting equity and social justice, the agency stated.
“According to data from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System, it is estimated that in 2019 there were 228,421 adults, 18 years of age or older, deaf or with hearing difficulty, which represents 8.5% of the adult population,” said the Institute’s Executive Director Orville Disdier.
The survey is focused on people who are deaf, partially deaf or who live with someone who has hearing difficulty, but all residents of Puerto Rico, 18 years of age or older, are invited to participate, even if they do not belong to the deaf community or do not have a deaf family member.
The topics may include demographic data, what sign language they use, if any, employment status, difficulties they face in receiving services and if they have been a victim of discrimination, among others.
Once the period of this survey of the general population is completed, the Institute will begin a second phase that will consist of several focus groups on the needs of this population, and then a third phase that will consist of a series of in-depth interviews, which will allow a much more detailed level of information, the agency stated.
