The seventh meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics will be held September 19-21 in Dublin, Ireland. Major agenda topics for the seventh meeting emanated from work presented at the sixth meeting. Three work groups will address these major topics. Chairs have been identified for each workgroup. The chairs will also serve as the contact for each group. Information on the workgroup topics and chairs is provided below. In addition to the workgroup sessions, there will be updates from the United Nations Statistical Division, UN affiliates, and the World Bank about their activities related to disability statistics, and the Steering Committee chair will lead a discussion on strategic issues including planning the next steps.

Workgroup 1
Chair – Barbara Altman, USA
This workgroup will consider minor revisions to the question set within the next few months. In addition, the group will develop an alternative (optional) question on upper body function. The workgroup was also charged with addressing the use of the short set as a screener.

Workgroup 2
Chair - Dan Mont, USA
Although detailed analyses of the pre-test data were presented at the 6th meeting, the WG agreed that there is much more analytical work that can be done that would be informative. The workgroup on data analysis was charged with completing this work. Both of these workgroups (on the short set and data analysis) will jointly plan and oversee publication of the pre-test results.

It was decided that the methodological workgroup would be merged with the data analysis workgroup to address three specific issues: 1) portability of questions across administration modes; 2) how the questions work for specific subpopulations such as those with severe disability, children, or the institutionalized population; and 3) the use of proxy informants. It was agreed that proxy reporting is a priority for the group.

Workgroup 3
Chairs - Margie Schneider, South Africa and Howard Meltzer, United Kingdom
The workgroup was charged with drafting a position paper specific to developing an extended question set for the purpose of assessing equalization of opportunities. The position paper will include the plan, purpose, and approach for developing the extended set. It was agreed that the primary issue for this extended set is expansion of the existing domains covered in the short set and adding to the existing domains. The WG will collaborate with UNESCAP on development of the extended set/s.

Objectives for the 7th meeting:

Present additional work on short set:

Present results of additional pre-testing (if any)

Present results of additional analyses of pre-test data

Present any revisions to original six questions

Present work on use of short set as a screener

Present option for measuring upper body function

Present proposal for extended set and test results if available.

Discuss strategic issues.

Contacts:

For agenda and meeting content:

Cordell Golden

National Center for Health Statistics

3311 Toledo Road, Room 6428

Hyattsville, MD 20782

Telephone: 301-458-4237

Fax: 301-458-4036

Email: CGolden@cdc.gov

For local arrangements:

Ms. Bernie Ryan
Central Statistics Office
Ardee Road, Rathmines
Dublin 6, Ireland
Telephone: +00-353-1-498-4285
Fax: +00-353-1-498-4268
Email: wcg@cso.ie