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Laredo committee to adapt statewide survey to map local disability service gaps
Summary
Committee members agreed to adapt a statewide needs‑assessment survey to Laredo, using a 23‑category instrument and REDCap dashboards, with organizers estimating analysis will take three to six months and exploring university partnerships for methodology and staffing.
The Laredo Community Disability Committee agreed to pursue a local needs assessment to identify services and gaps for residents with disabilities, adapting a longer statewide instrument for the city.
Speaker 1 introduced the proposal to use a version of a 60‑page statewide survey that covered 23 categories of services and supports — from early intervention and developmental screening to long‑term care and transportation — and shrink it to focus on local needs. The speaker said the original survey had been sent to roughly 1,900–2,000 people in the statewide example and noted that response rates there were low. "They sent it to 1,900 people or 2,000 people," the speaker said, adding that the statewide example yielded about 200 responses in that case.
A central issue for the committee was study design. "We need to look at the methodology," Speaker 3 said, asking whether the committee would pursue quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods and whether it should inventory existing services before surveying stakeholders. Speaker 3 urged the group to define research questions and tools before launching so the study would produce useful, actionable results.
Members discussed staffing and partnerships. Several suggested tapping university faculty, special‑education professors and graduate students to assist with sampling, analysis and dashboard building. Speaker 1 estimated the full cycle of adaptation, distribution, response collection and analysis could take "easily 3 to 6 months." The committee also discussed using REDCap to compile responses and build real‑time reports.
Why this matters: the survey is intended to produce a picture of local strengths and gaps across a wide range of services — from early childhood screening to workforce and housing supports — that the committee can use to prioritize initiatives in its 2026 strategic plan.
Next steps: committee members asked Speaker 1 to circulate the example survey and methodology details, to refine the instrument for Laredo, and to return with proposed timelines and partners for analysis.
