NCDDR 2001 Survey Report - Table of Contents
NCDDR 2001 Survey Report - Summary and Conclusion
- The typical responding consumer was female, 30-49 years old, White, had a physical/orthopedic disability, and was from an urban/suburban area.
- Overall, the consumer group indicated a preference for English. Approximately one-half of the Hispanic/Latino group reported they preferred Spanish.
- Consumers were most concerned with research in the areas of independent living and community integration; legal/policy issues; assistive technology; and employment.
- Independent living and community integration was an area indicated as important to most American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino consumers.
- More Asian/Pacific Islander consumers reported employment as an important research area.
- Overall, the majority of consumers and stakeholders believed that disability research is useful, but fewer reported that there is enough research available in areas of interest to them.
- Consumers reported using different approaches to obtain disability research. They contacted community service providers; called disability-related organizations; looked in brochures, fact sheets, or newsletters; and looked on the Internet/Web. However, a smaller percentage of consumers looked in research journals for disability research findings. This was true for consumers from all racial and ethnic groups.
- Over one-half of the researchers reported they used the Internet/Web, brochures, and research journals to disseminate disability research findings; overall, consumers used these approaches less frequently to obtain disability research information.
- Consumers reported a preference for receiving disability research results via printed materials, computer, telephone, pictures, audiotape, and videotape formats. Over one-half of the consumers of all racial and ethnic backgrounds indicated that receiving information via pictures and audiotape was a preferred format.
- More Asian/Pacific Islander consumers reported computers and telephone/toll-free information line as preferred formats for receiving disability research information.
- A comparison of consumers' six most preferred formats for receiving disability research results to how often researchers and stakeholders use these formats to disseminate information indicated that researchers and stakeholders may be under-utilizing the dissemination strategies of pictures, audiotapes, and videotapes when targeting consumers.
- Less American Indian/Alaskan Native, Black/African American, and Hispanic/Latino consumers reported access to a computer at home than did all the other racial and ethnic groups.
- The group with the least access to a home computer was the Hispanic/Latino group. However, computers were selected as a preferred format by more than one-half of the Hispanic/Latino consumers.
- While the majority of consumers indicated they use the Internet/Web at home, more Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaskan Native consumers indicated they use the Internet/Web at an Independent Living Center.
- More Black/African American consumers reported use of the Internet/Web at home and use of the Internet/Web to search for information and research.
- More consumers identified having difficulty navigating the Internet/Web due to unclear directions. Lack of knowledge on use, slow connections, limited access to the Internet/Web, and inaccessible pages on the Internet/Web were other barriers identified by consumers.
Results from the NCDDR 2001 Survey Report: Highlights of Findings provide information regarding ways consumers with disabilities find and access disability research information. Findings can be helpful in understanding the complexity of consumers' information needs characteristics. Although the results are based on relatively small samples, these highlights suggest that consumers with disabilities who are also from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds do use a variety of sources and formats to access disability research information.
