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H.R.2947

Deafblind DATA Act Deafblind Disabled Americans Table Approximation Act

Deafblind Disabled Americans Table Approximation Act

Introduced·4/17/25
Introduced

H. R. 2947

Introduced in House · May 2, 2025

April 17, 2025

Mrs. McClain Delaney (for herself, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Fields, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Mannion, Mr. McGarvey, Mr. Mullin, Ms. Norton, Mr. Takano, and Ms. Tlaib) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To require the Bureau of the Census to collect information on deafblind individuals, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. Short title; findings.

(a) Short title.—This Act may be cited as the or the “Deafblind DATA Act”. “Deafblind Disabled Americans Table Approximation Act”.

  1. (b) Findings.—Congress finds the following:
  1. (1) Individuals who are deafblind experience concomitant hearing and vision loss that may prevent access to information, cause severe communication challenges, and interfere with social and emotional well-being. In children, deafblindness may impact development and educational attainment, while in adults, deafblindness may interfere with employment and other areas. The National Center on Deafblindness estimates 10,000 children and 40,000 adults are deafblind, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners estimates 70,000–100,000 people are deafblind, and the Helen Keller National Center for Deafblind Youths and Adults estimates 2.47 million Americans have combined hearing and vision loss.
  2. (2) It is difficult to determine the precise number of individuals who experience combined hearing and vision loss, and estimates from various national counts offer radically different estimates.
  3. (3) An accurate, centralized count of all individuals who are deafblind in the United States is necessary to effectively serve the unique needs of this population. Without a comprehensive national picture of this population, individuals who are deafblind may not receive the support necessary to access information, communicate effectively, and better their social and emotional well-being.
  4. (4) The Bureau of the Census currently does not count individuals who experience combined hearing and vision loss. Through the American Community Survey, the Bureau does collect data on those who are deaf or have “serious difficulty hearing” and those who are blind or have “serious difficulty seeing even when wearing glasses”. However, this data is not cross referenced to provide information about those who have both limitations.
  5. (5) Some people who experience combined hearing and vision loss identify as deafblind or as a part of the deafblind community.
  6. (6) By cross-referencing this existing data to establish a count of all respondents to the American Community Survey who experience concomitant hearing and vision loss, an estimate of the United States deafblind population may be calculated.