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Report Summary |
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Detailed Findings |
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The Approach
Secondary research, that is accessing preexisting data sources, was identified as the most efficient and accurate means of identifying the size and profile of the population of Australia with a print disability. Methodological concerns arise when considering conducting primary research with people with disabilities and therefore, publicly available data sources were considered the most appropriate for this project.
The following is the list of sources consulted in gathering the findings.
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Literacy Impairment |
Vision Impairment |
Learning/ Attention Impairment |
Physical Impairment |
Other |
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Adult Literacy Council Australia Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs |
Association for the Blind WA Royal Blind Society of NSW QLD Blind Association Royal Institute for the Blind SA Royal VIC Institute for the Blind Lion’s Eye Institute Centre for Eye Research Australia Eye Health Promotion Unit Vision Australia Foundation Vision 2020 Australia Hear a Book Service Blind Citizens Australia |
Dyslexia-Speld Foundation WA Speld VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, TAS Learning and Attention Disorder Society Australia |
Arthritis Foundation WA, NSW, SA, QLD, VIC, TAS, ACT, NT Paraplegic – Quadriplegic Association WA, NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS, SA, NT, ACT Multiple Sclerosis Society of NSW, WA, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS Cerebral Palsy Association WA, NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS, SA, NT, ACT |
Australian Bureau of Statistics Disability Services Commission and other respective State bodies Aged Council of Australia Federal Department of Family and Community Services ACROD ACOSS Office of Disability Office of Older Australians National Information and Library Service Round Table on Disability |
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Recognising Potential Limitations of Research Approach
Limitations of this research approach arise when the available information is limited. Specifically for ill funded disability related organisations, keeping accurate statistics is often an unrealistic task. In most instances, only member numbers are kept which are not an accurate representation of the actual number of sufferers. As such, extrapolation of available data and estimations have been used in places. These instances are all clearly identified in the body of the report.
The State/Territory and country/metropolitan profiles specified in the objectives of the project have been, in some cases, impossible to determine as a result of the lack of disaggregated statistics held by both Federal and State government agencies and representative associations consulted.
The secondary research approach applied to this project has consulted a wide variety of independent sources in gaining the relevant information. There has been no way to determine whether people with multiple print disabilities, for example those who are blind and have arthritis, have been counted twice. In an effort to avoid this duplication, some areas of disability have been deliberately omitted. For example, the aged have not been counted as the aged with a print disability would probably have been accounted for in the arthritis and other print disability type categories.
A third limitation encountered in the research process has been conflicting statistics. In these instances, the integrity of the source has been investigated as much as possible, and a decision made on these findings.
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