Date: August 3, 2022

To amend Article 5 of Law 143-2014, “Protocol Act to Ensure Effective Communication Between the Security Components of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Criminal Justice Information System”, to include the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee on the Criminal Justice Information System; and for other necessary and related purposes.

PRESS RELEASE

Statistics Institute releases first results on the Study of the Needs of the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico

84% of totally deaf people surveyed who needed public safety services and 75% of those who needed services in government agencies faced barriers

July 21, 2022: The executive director of the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute), Dr. Orville M. Disdier, presented the first results of the Study of the Needs of the Deaf Community in Puerto Rico, through an interactive digital report. This new product, called “Study of the Needs of the Deaf Community: Interactive Report”, presents the first results of the Population Survey that the Institute conducted, both to deaf and partially deaf people, and to the general public. In addition, the interactive report presents the results of focus group interviews with teachers of students with hearing difficulties. The platform presents, for both deaf and partially deaf people, data and statistics on socio-demographic aspects, on the difficulties presented when requesting services, both governmental and non-governmental, on the communication methods used by this community and on the difficulties in accessing information offered by various means of communication, among other findings.

“The data and statistics presented in this interactive report serve as an empirical basis to justify various initiatives and the development of new public policies that promote quality services and better integration of deaf people into the rest of society, while promoting equity and social justice,” said Dr. Disdier.

Some of the most relevant results of the Deaf Community Needs Study:

• 9% of all respondents indicated that they were completely deaf.
• 14% of all respondents indicated that they are partially deaf.
• 62% of the totally deaf people who participated in the survey were deaf at birth, while the remaining 38% became deaf sometime after their birth.
• 66% of the partially deaf who participated in the survey have a level of severe or profound deafness.
• 86% of the totally deaf people surveyed said they often feel discriminated against (41% very often and 45% sometimes). On the other hand, 68% of the partially deaf people surveyed said they often feel discriminated against (20% very often and 48% sometimes).
• 84% of the totally deaf people surveyed, who needed public safety services, faced barriers.
• 75% of the totally deaf people surveyed, who needed services from government agencies, faced barriers.
• On the other hand, 53% of the partially deaf people surveyed, who needed services from government agencies, faced barriers.
• Other places where the totally deaf people surveyed mentioned that they have faced difficulty receiving services, integrating or participating, are:
  • Hospitals (55%)
  • Medical offices (46%)
  • Restaurants (42%)
  • Banks or cooperatives (42%)
  • Place of employment (34%)
  • Cinema or theater (28%)
  • Supermarkets (24%)
  • Concerts or festivals (22%)
  • Gas stations (22%)
• The communication methods used by the totally deaf people surveyed are:
  • Lip reading (83%)
  • ASL signs (64%)
  • Writing (65%)
  • Verbal (59%)
  • Creole signs (56%)
  • Interpreter (45%)
  • Non-formal signs (26%)
• On the other hand, the communication methods most used by partially deaf people surveyed are verbal (87%), lip reading (59%) and written (43%).
• 51% of the totally deaf people surveyed reported using one of the following headphone devices:
  • Behind the ear or behind the ear (64%)
  • CROS hearing aid — BI-CROS (14%)
  • In the ear — Intra shell (11%)
  • Cochlear implant (8%)
  • Open ear — miniature size (3%)
• 58% of partially deaf people surveyed reported using one of the following headphone devices:
  • Behind the ear or behind the ear (53%)
  • CROS hearing aid — BI-CROS (26%)
  • In the channel — Intracanal (11%)
  • In the ear — Intra shell (5%)
  • Other (6%)
• 10% of all respondents indicated that they are hearing people (who are not deaf or partially deaf) but who live with a deaf person.
• 43% of the listeners surveyed, who live with a deaf person, have not taken sign language courses.
• On the other hand, 42% of all respondents indicated that they are hearing people (who are not deaf or partially deaf) but who know a deaf person.
• 25% of all respondents indicated that they are hearing people (who are not deaf or partially deaf) who do not live with a deaf person and who do not know a deaf person.
• In general terms, the educators who participated in the focus groups agreed that there are not many materials adapted for deaf students, so sometimes the teachers themselves have to modify the materials.

In the same way, the educators who participated in the focus groups agreed that in general, parents and/or guardians are not given the necessary support at the time the child is diagnosed. Dr. Disdier explained that the final sample of the survey consisted of 739 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in Puerto Rico, and it was accessible for more than sixty (60) days. A total of 21 educators were part of several focus groups, in which in-depth conversations were held about the needs of deaf students. In this regard, Dr. Disdier argued that “The data collected by educators of deaf students alert us that, like deaf adults, deaf children and adolescents also face challenges and needs, and that these challenges and needs are different and require actions adapted to that demographic sector.”

For his part, Manuel Mangual, Evaluation Specialist, who managed the study, explained that there are still some survey questions that are being processed and whose data will eventually be added to the interactive report. Likewise, in the coming weeks, additional focus group interviews will be conducted, whose results will also be included in the report, expanding and strengthening it. “Working on this project, for the benefit of deaf and partially deaf people, has been a lot of learning, enthusiasm and pride. The study participants gave us the confidence to be part of one voice when it came to their needs. During the next phases, we will continue to produce information aimed at promoting a more inclusive society,” emphasized Mangual.

The Study of the Needs of the Deaf Community: Interactive Report, resides on the website of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics and can be accessed at any time by interested parties at the following e-mail address: Outcomes and Needs Deaf Community.

For technical questions about this report, you can send an email to: preguntas@estadisticas.pr.

To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr.gov. On social media through Facebook accounts (@statistics.pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics).

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Date: June 10, 2022

“To order the Government Committee and the Committee on Youth Affairs of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to carry out comprehensive research on juvenile violence in Puerto Rico; the rates of violent deaths among young people; the risk factors that reproduce this tragic and sustained phenomenon with multiple social consequences; as well as to prepare public policy recommendations based on available evidence and aimed at reducing the rates of violent deaths among young people in a coherent and coherent manner coordinated; and for other related purposes.”

A new episode of “The Institute of Statistics: The Podcast” is now available. In this one, Episode 3, we explain what's new Child Abuse Profile, the Interactive Report, and how to access and explore it.

Access Episode 3 and previous episodes through the following link: https://anchor.fm/instituto-de-estadsticas-de-puerto-rico.

The Institute of Statistics: The Podcast is a quick and convenient way to obtain information through a digital audio format. The audios can be listened to at any time, from anywhere, through various platforms on the Internet.

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Date: June 1, 2022

To order the Department of the Family, the Department of Education, the Mental Health and Counteraddiction Administration, the Department of Health and the Puerto Rico Police to establish, within a period of no more than 60 days, an emergency plan to address the crisis of child abuse and abuse in Puerto Rico, including a continuing education campaign in the media and on the social networks of the agencies; to order the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico to enter into collaboration agreements with the Department of the Family and the Puerto Rico Police to publish an Annual Child Abuse Profile, within 180 days; to order the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Bureau to call on technology companies and telecommunications providers to take steps to ensure the safety of children in cyberspace, provide children with access to toll-free helplines, use their platforms to promote campaigns to prevent child abuse and abuse; order the Department of Housing to start educational campaigns and offer workshops on guidance on child abuse and maltreatment for all residents and participants in their programs; and for other purposes.

Date: May 31, 2022

To amend Article 1.3 of Act No. 54 of August 15, 1989, also known as the “Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention Act”, to recognize economic violence as a form of domestic violence; to order the Office of the Women's Attorney, Department of Family; Department of Justice; Department of Education; Department of Housing; Department of Economic Development; Department of Health; Department of Health; Police Negotiate; and Statistics Institute to take affirmative action to ensure dissemination and compliance with public policy against this and all other manifestations of domestic violence; and for other relevant purposes.