Inclusive Public Health for People with Disabilities: Review of Webinar on CDC’s Public Health Approach to Disability

On October 25th, 2011 the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD) co-sponsored the first in a four-part series of free Webinars on promoting health and preventing disease for people with disabilities.  The four-part series is conceptualized as “episodes” taking place once a month over the course of four months.  The first episode:  CDC’s Public Health Approach to Disability discussed the unique role of the Division of Human Development and Disability at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in promoting an inclusive (mainstreaming) approach to public health for people with disabilities within CDC policy and programs.

The approximately hour long presentation included statistical information on disability globally and in the United States, discussion on the difference between public and clinical health approaches to disability, and accomplishments of the CDC-wide Disability and Health Working Groups.  The goal of this working group is to develop key partnerships to expand inclusion of people with disabilities in public health efforts, and develop and deliver training for CDC workforce and its partners on disability issues and their importance in improving the nation’s health.  Webinar panelists included Gloria Krahn, PhD, MPH, Director of the Division of Human Development and Disability at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC; and Vince Campbell, PhD, Chief Disability and Health Officer and the liaison from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities’ Division of Human Development and Disability to the Office of the Associate Director of Program, CDC.

The AAIDD, AAHD, and the CDC are working in partnership to inform the public about the important work being conducted in the area of public health; particularly for those individuals with disability (19 percent of the overall all population—approximately one in five Americans), and are interested in highlighting the relevance of public health and continued research and policy development for all Americans with or without disabilities.

Audio and the PowerPoint presentation slides from the October 25^th webinar will be available from the AAIDD and AAHD websites www.aamr.org and www.aahd.us, respectively.  For more information on upcoming episodes please visit www.aamr.org/content_7633.cfm.  For more information on the disability and health from the CDC please visit www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/index.html.