Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Current disability questions used in many US federal surveys exclusively measure disability as having 1 or more of 6 functional limitations. This strategy is at odds with who is disabled as some disabled people do not experience these limitations. METHODS: Using data from a nationally representative survey of 2169 adults, this study describes the potential of a comprehensive disability status question to improve the measurement of disability. RESULTS: Results from this study demonstrate that a comprehensive disability status question successfully identifies disabled people who both do, and do not, experience limitations. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that a single comprehensive disability status question may provide a viable and more inclusive alternative to identifying the disabled population in US federal surveys.