They urge you to answer the 2010 Census questionnaire

Press Release

Exhortation to the deaf community and their families to complete registration to strengthen the information available on this population in Puerto Rico

 San Juan, Puerto Rico — March 18, 2026. The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute (Institute), in collaboration with the Deaf Community Liaison Office and several agencies of the Government of Puerto Rico, urged deaf people, people with partial hearing loss, deafblind people and their families to participate in an online registry that will allow the collection of key information about this population in Puerto Rico.

The initiative is developed in accordance with Executive Order OE-2026-002, issued by the governor of Puerto Rico, Jennifer A. González Colón, which instructs the Institute of Statistics, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the University of Puerto Rico, the Vocational Rehabilitation Administration, the Deaf Community Liaison Office and other entities, to carry out a formal effort to collect information about the deaf community in Puerto Rico and its characteristics, including the communication methods used.

As explained by the executive director of the Institute, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, community participation is essential for reliable information to guide public decision-making and the development of initiatives aimed at this population. “Having reliable information is essential to be able to develop public policies and services that respond to the real needs of the community. That's why we invite deaf people, those with hearing loss and their families to participate in this registry. Their participation will strengthen knowledge about this population and support informed decisions for the benefit of the deaf community in Puerto Rico,” said Disdier.

It takes three to five minutes to complete the registration. Participation is encouraged to:

• Deaf people
• People with partial (mild to moderately severe) hearing loss
• Deafblind people
• Families and caregivers who support people with these conditions

Interested persons can complete the registration at the following link: surveymonkey.com/r/deafspr

Information and guidance

Individuals or organizations interested in receiving guidance or collaborating in the dissemination of this information can contact:

Deaf Community Liaison Office (OECS)
Phone: 787-725-2333 ext. 203
VRS: 787-773-1487
Email: oecs@dpi.pr.gov
Website: www.dpi.pr.gov

Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics
Telephone: 787-819-0730
Email: preguntas@estadisticas.pr

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PRESS RELEASE

Office of the President

Vital for the country that mayors mobilize to obtain

Responses to the 2020 Census

President of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Statistics made an urgent appeal to municipal officials given the low participation of only 25% of the response

The president of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, economist and university professor Nicolás Muñoz-Muñoz, urged all mayors to mobilize the resources of municipal agencies to visit street by street, combing all communities to alert families to the importance of filling out the 2020 Population Census form. I am taking all preventive and protective measures as far as COVID-19 is concerned.

As of July 13, only 25% of families had answered the Census. This, according to Muñoz, represents half of those who had answered the Census in 2010. In mid-July, the level of response in municipalities ranged from 14 to 31 percent. “It is vital for municipalities and their inhabitants that the federal funds that arrive are not reduced by 25% or more. Without downplaying the exercise of the democratic right to vote, designating resources to help citizens complete the Census should be considered as meritorious as the efforts being made for the primary and electoral process,” Muñoz said.

“If mobilization were not promoted to encouraging communities to dedicate 15 minutes to answering the form, we would add another disaster to the chain of events that have occurred in the country since the earthquake in January to the present. In this case, a disaster whose consequences would last 10 years,” said Muñoz.

The economist explained that, if 25% of the population does not answer, Puerto Rico could result in a population of less than 3 million and could receive 25% less federal funding, equivalent to $5 billion annually or $50 billion over 10 years, if we consider an average current allocation of $20 billion annually. This is without considering additional special allocations in the case of natural disasters.

It was also reported that more than 300 federal programs base the distribution of funds on population data. These programs include federal funding for road construction, agriculture, rural development, housing, urban development, solid waste management, telecommunications infrastructure, drinking water, protection of coastal resources, assistance for paying household rent, education, justice, nutrition assistance programs, school breakfasts, child care, workforce development under the WIOA Act (among other laws), assistance for the elderly and health, including Medicaid, and other programs.

“The economic situation of municipalities will worsen if access to federal funds allocated by Congress is reduced. Every Puerto Rican who can read and write can fill out the Census form. It can be filled out “online” or on paper. Each neighbor can help another neighbor who can't read and write or how to fill it out, particularly older adults. It's everyone's job, but mayors, who are the officials closest to the needs of citizens, must exercise their leadership in this vital priority for Puerto Rico,” Muñoz concluded.

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Press Contact:

Idia M. Martínez

787-603-3200

imartinez@upfrontpr.net

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