AAPD Launches Disability Data Archive Project to Safeguard Critical Information
The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has initiated the Disability Data Archive Project, a community-led effort aimed at preserving crucial disability data across the United States. This project responds to the alarming trend of federal and state databases containing disability information disappearing, being altered, losing funding, or facing deletion. Once lost, much of this data cannot be recreated, as it often captures specific moments in time. The AAPD, with support from Microsoft, is building a new public data portal to store and maintain this preserved data. The portal will ensure the data remains open, accessible, and free for researchers, advocates, policymakers, and the public indefinitely, even if original sources become unavailable. The initiative is guided by disabled individuals, who make decisions about what data to preserve and how to preserve it, ensuring the project serves the community's needs.
