Although we know that environment contributes substantially to individuals' disability, there has been relatively little involvement of communities in addressing disability issues. Spokane, Washington is emerging as an exception, as this paper explains. The Spokane Regional Health District has partnered with the Spokane Health Improvement Partnership to involve the community in a process of mobilizing around disability. The process involves (1) assembling an Advisory Board of interested individuals and groups; (2) collecting data to identify barriers to health and participation by people with disabilities; and (3) defining interventions to address these barriers. Funding for initial activities comes from the state-level disability prevention of the CDC's Office on Disability and Health, through the Washington State Department of Health. The Department of Health in turn joined with the University of Washington to support the Spokane initiative and another in Jefferson County.
As its name suggests, the Health Improvement Partnership (HIP) is an alliance of more than 500 Spokane County organizations and many individuals dedicated to improving community health. HIP seeks local solutions for local problems, and recognized disability as a priority area to address. The presentation will describe the process: identifying local disability issues through a community forum; forming the Advisory Board; maintaining participant interest during lengthy planning for data collection; conducting interviews with 25 key informants, 99 adults with disabilities and parents of 52 children with disabilities; presenting the findings to another community forum; and selecting and funding interventions to address the issues that stakeholders chose as important and feasible.
Learning Objectives: 1) Identify 10 key strategies to mobilize communities around disability surveillance and health promotion; 2) List 5 strategies for maintaining community momentum during planning and research phases; and 3) Name 5 approaches to synthesize disability-related data into meaningful options for community prioritization and intervention
Keywords: Disability, Community Involvement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: My organization receives sub-contract funds from the Spokane Regional Health District to Administer this program.