Survey

The survey was conducted in google forms to explore whether individuals with disabilities face greater challenges in accessing essential resources such as food, housing, transportation, healthcare, and assistive technology. By gathering data across these basic needs, the goal was to analyze potential gaps in accessibility and inclusion between people with and without disabilities. This information helps highlight areas where additional support, policy changes, or community resources may be needed to promote equity and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. From the 21 people who took the survey, the following are the results.

	Neutral Responses	Possible Interpretations
Affordable Food	8 respondents	May indicate food insecurity that is inconsistent or seasonal; respondents might not always have affordable, nutritious options, or are unsure how to define “nutritious.”
Stable Housing	3 respondents	These individuals may be in temporary housing, staying with others, or in less-than-ideal conditions (e.g., in unsafe neighborhoods or overcrowded homes).
Feeling Safe	4 respondents	Suggests possible exposure to unpredictable environments (e.g., domestic, community violence) or mental health conditions affecting perceptions of safety.
Transportation Access	6 respondents	May reflect unreliable public transit, affordability barriers (e.g., car maintenance or gas), or physical accessibility challenges, especially for those with disabilities.
Healthcare Access	3 respondents	Neutral responses may reflect delays in care, lack of insurance coverage, limited provider availability, or linguistic/cultural barriers.

Demographics:

Disability: 9 respondents (out of 21) identified as having a disability.
Gender: 15 respondents identified as female, and 6 as male.
Ethnicity: The majority were Latino/Hispanic (11), followed by White (6), with smaller representations of Asian (2), African-American (1), and Other (1).

Key Findings from Needs-Based Questions:

Affordable Food: Responses were mixed, with most (8) feeling neutral, followed by 7 indicating “Strongly agree” and 5 saying “Agree”—suggesting some uncertainty about food security.
Stable Housing: Most respondents felt positive, with 10 choosing “Strongly agree” and 6 “Agree”.
Feeling Safe: A strong majority (17 of 21) reported feeling safe (“Agree” or “Strongly agree”).
Transportation Access: 9 reported “Strongly agree”, but 6 chose “Neutral”—some inconsistency in reliable transport access.
Healthcare Access: Responses were more divided—6 “Agree,” 6 “Disagree,” and 5 “Strongly agree,” with a few neutrals and one “Strongly disagree.”

Interpretation:

Evidence of a Gap for People with Disabilities

1. Affordable Food

High Neutrality (8 total): A significant number of neutral responses suggest inconsistent food access.
People with disabilities: Disproportionately represented among those expressing uncertainty or disagreement in this area.
Interpretation: Indicates food insecurity or limited access to nutritious options is more common for respondents with disabilities.

2. Healthcare Access

Most divided responses: Responses were almost evenly split across agree, disagree, and strongly agree, with some neutrals.
People with disabilities: More likely to select “Disagree” or “Neutral,” showing unmet healthcare needs.
Interpretation: Suggests systemic or financial barriers to accessing regular, affordable care.

3. Transportation

6 Neutral responses: Reflects uncertainty or variable access.
Disability relevance: Those with disabilities may struggle with accessible or reliable transport, even if public options exist.
Interpretation: Indicates physical or financial challenges in transportation remain a barrier for some.

4. Assistive Technology and Financial Resources

While not broken down in this excerpt, your broader analysis already notes that people with disabilities were more likely to report unmet needs in these areas.
This includes reported difficulty accessing assistive technology—a critical factor for independence.

The Gap

The data supports the conclusion that individuals with disabilities face greater inconsistency, uncertainty, or outright barriers to accessing basic needs—especially food, healthcare, and assistive services. This aligns with the survey’s purpose and reinforces the importance of disaggregating data by disability status to identify inequities.

Contradictory findings:

Several respondents with disabilities reported “Strongly agree” in areas like feeling safe, housing stability, or access to transportation—categories where others in the same group responded “Disagree” or “Neutral.”
Similarly, some nondisabled respondents reported disagreement in areas where most others reported positive access, showing that disability status is a key but not sole predictor of resource access.

These contradictions may reflect differences in location, financial background, support systems, or even personal interpretation of the survey items. The mixed responses highlight the complexity of lived experiences and suggest that neutral responses should not be overlooked, as they may signal hidden or emerging needs.