The National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD)
Using the National Survey on Health and Disability to Document Experiences of Americans with Disabilities
The National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) is an ongoing survey of adults with disabilities, conducted five times previously in 2018, 2019/2020, 2021, 2022, 2023/2024.
The 2025 NSHD is NOW OPEN: www.kuhealthsurvey.org
In 2024, we received funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, project #90IFRE0089) to continue administering the NSHD.
We are collaborating with:
- Washington State University to study the adverse health effects of medical ableism on people with disabilities (NIH project #R01HD116323)
- Langston University to study trends in employment (NIDILRR project #90RTEM0009)
- The Community Living Policy Center at Brandeis University to document experiences with personal assistance services (NIDILRR project # 90RTCP0009)
Domains of the NSHD
The table below provides brief descriptions of the NSHD core domains. Please note that domain content may change between survey waves, and some additional domains (not listed below) are included as one-time-only modules.
For more details on specific survey questions or items, please contact Noelle Kurth at pixie@ku.edu.
NSHD Core Domains
| Domain | Brief description |
| Disability | ACS-6, open-ended disability item; age of onset; respondent self-categorized disability type |
| Health status | Physical, mental and overall health; tobacco use, primary sources of care, frequency of routine medical care |
| Transportation | Access; types used |
| Housing | Type; stability of living situation; accessibility; problems (e.g. lack of heat, water, presence of mold, pests, etc.) |
| Community Participation | Leisure and community activities; social isolation and loneliness |
| Personal Assistance Services (PAS) | Use of paid and unpaid PAS; unmet PAS needs; PAS impact on employment |
| Public benefits | Receipt of SSI, SSDI, SNAP/food stamps, Section 8/HUD housing, child care subsidies, unemployment, LIEAP, TANF |
| Employment | Working for pay or self-employed; hours worked per week; employment longevity; income from employment |
| Current insurance coverage | Type (Employer-sponsored, Medicare, Medicaid, Marketplace, TRICARE); number of months with coverage in past year; use of Indian Health Services; out-of-pocket costs; adequacy of provider network |
| No health insurance coverage | Length of time without insurance; reasons for no insurance; services needed but unable to receive; out-of-pocket costs |
| Unmet health care needs | By type of service (doctors, specialists, prescriptions, dental, mental health, DME, PT, OT, prosthetics); reasons for unmet need by type of service |
| Income | individual income from employment; household size; annual household income (based on % of FPL) |
| Demographics | age; SOGI; race; ethnicity; education level; marital status; parental status; living situation; veteran status; felony |
| Proxy completion | Type of proxy (family member, PAS, service provider, etc.); how proxy assisted respondent |
| COVID-19 | Access, results, date of most recent positive test; multiple infections; severity, long-term effects; availability of PPE; impact of stay-at-home orders and/or social isolation; vaccination status |
| Long COVID | doctor diagnosed v. not doctor diagnosed; impact of Long COVID on usual activities (driving, sleep, mental health, fatigue, mood, caring for others, caring for self, etc.) |
IHDPS Staff Working on NSHD
Jean P Hall, PI: jhall@ku.edu
Noelle K Kurth, Co-PI: pixie@ku.edu
Kelsey Shinnick-Goddard, Project Coordinator: ksg@ku.edu
Justice Ender, Communications Coordinator: justice@ku.edu
Aaron Beuoy, Graduate Research Assistant: abeuoy@ku.edu
Funding and Disclaimer
The NSHD is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, grant numbers 90IFRE0050 and 90IFRE0089). NIDILRR is a center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents herein do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
This research is approved by the University of Kansas Institutional Reviews Board (IRB), Study#00147878.