In the News: Scott D. Landes

“It doesn’t matter your age or your gender or your race, or your level of education, or your income or your health status,” says Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology. “If you’re disabled, you’re about two times more likely to die than a non-disabled person.”

“Disability Mortality Disparity: Risk Of Mortality For Disabled Adults Nearly Twice That For Nondisabled Adults, 2008–19,” authored by Associate Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published in Health Affairs.

“A Research Roadmap Toward Improved Measures Of Disability,” co-authored by Associate Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published in Health Affairs.

Funded by gifts from hundreds of individual donors, including a lead gift from long-time Maxwell supporters Gerry and Daphna Cramer, the project has since awarded funds for dozens of faculty-led projects that have explored topics related to citizenship—from labor policy to free speech jurisprudence to climate change.

“Good news. Good news. Good news,” says Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology and O'Hanley Faculty Scholar. “They got the message that we need to engage.”

This brief summarizes findings from a recent study that used the 2011-2012 NHIS data to compare the prevalence of the disabled population estimated in the NHIS by using two sets of questions on disability – those from the American Community Survey vs. those from the Washington Group Short Set (WG-SS). Results show that the WG-SS undercounted more than half of adult respondents aged 18 and over who reported being disabled in the ACS questions.

"Educational Attainment and Perceived Need for Future ADL Assistance," co-authored by Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology, was published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

"Noncombat and Combat Military Service Experiences, Hearing Difficulty, and Difficulty Remembering/Concentrating," co-authored by sociologists Andrew London, Scott Landes and Janet Wilmoth, was published in Innovation in Aging.

The bureau has spent time, money and energy trying to improve counts of racial and ethnic minorities who have been historically undercounted, but the statistical agency seems willing to adapt questions that will shortchange the numbers of people with disabilities, says Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology.

"Counting disability in the National Health Interview Survey and its consequence: Comparing the American Community Survey to the Washington Group disability measures," co-authored by Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology, was published in Disability and Health Journal.

“Disabled people are already underserved,” says Scott Landes, associate professor of sociology. Altering the way the Census Bureau gathers disability statistics, he argues, will generate “inaccurate information.”

"Health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disability requires vast improvements to data collection: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic," co-authored by Associate Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published in Disability and Health Journal.

"Service-Connected Disability and Poverty Among US Veterans," co-authored by sociologists Andrew London, Scott Landes and Janet Wilmoth, was published in "The Oxford Handbook of the Sociology of Disability."

This brief summarizes results from a recent study seeking to accurately measure the disparity in the Alzheimer disease mortality burden between adults with versus without Down syndrome for years 2005-2019. 

"There is a well-documented history in the U.S. of marginalizing people with IDD (intellectual or developmental disability). Our hope is that we will not add to that history, but will take the necessary steps to ensure that people with IDD are provided the opportunity to live and thrive in the midst of the ongoing pandemic," says Landes, associate professor of sociology.

"Moving On from Covid? Immunocompromised People Can’t," written by Associate Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published by the Hastings Center.