Deafblind DATA Act

This bill tells the U.S. Census Bureau to better count people who are both deaf and blind. It explains that today’s national counts vary a lot, and the Census Bureau does not currently cross-check its survey answers on serious hearing difficulty and serious vision difficulty to find people who have both. Without a clear, nationwide count, many people may not get the support they need.

It requires the Census Bureau to post a yearly table, starting in 2026, that shows how many survey respondents said “Yes” to being both deaf and blind. The table must be public on the Bureau’s website, sorted by state, and include sex, race, age, and key economic facts like job status, education level, earnings, and poverty status. Personal details must be kept private. The Bureau also has 180 days after the law takes effect to report to Congress on whether publishing this table and expanding data collection is feasible.

• Who is affected: People who are both deaf and blind, and the agencies and groups that serve them.
• What changes: The Census Bureau must cross-reference existing survey data to estimate this population and publish an annual table with demographic and economic details, while protecting privacy.
• When: A feasibility report is due within 180 days of enactment; the public table must appear each year beginning in 2026.

The findings section notes how wide the current estimates are and why a clear, centralized count matters for access to information, communication, and well-being.