Action Alert: Comment on Revised National Health Interview Survey Disability Questions
Hi friends and followers! Today, I am sharing an action alert for fellow public health and disability advocates.
Comment on Revised 2028 National Health Interview Survey Proposal by October 19, 2026.
The Concerns:
The proposed revisions will make it harder to identify people with disabilities in the survey data. This is due to both reductions in the number of questions and proposed changes to data collection methods (e.g., moving from face-to-face collection to integrate paper and online collection).
An undercount and/or inaccurate disability data will negatively impact disability funding, resources, research, and healthcare.
Helpful Resources:
Disability Scoop provides a succinct and insightful overview of the concerns.
Human Services Research Institute provides both a public comment guide and a crosswalk of which questions are being retained vs. not retained.
Take Action:
Submit a comment on the proposed National Health Interview Survey revisions.
Be as specific as possible: how will the proposed question and data collection changes affect the quality and accuracy of the data? How do you use these disability data in your work? How would that work be impacted by the proposed changes?
Written comments must be received on or before October 19, 2026.
I’d Love to Hear From You:
If you commented on the proposal, please share your biggest concerns! On the flip side, are there any positives or opportunities in the proposal that I’m missing?
Post Author: Leah A. Roman, MPH, MCHES, CPACC
Last Page Update: October 14, 2026