Charles E. Drum, JD, PhD¹, Brian Ritacco, MA¹, and Rania Wasfi, BS². (1) Oregon Office on Disability and Health, Oregon Health & Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207-0574, 503-494-8047, drumc@ohsu.edu, (2) Oregon Health and Science University, PO Box 574, Portland, OR 97207

The environment is understood to play an important role in the disabling process. Environmental context domains include the physical, social, and policy constructs within a geographic area. To date, there is no agreed upon assessment methodology that captures the role context plays in disablement. This session will describe the Community Engagement Initiative methodology that seeks to identify and assess context features that contribute to and mitigate disablement. The Community Engagement Initiative methodology consists of four co-related activities: 1) town hall (i.e., people with disabilities, etc.) and community infrastructure meetings (i.e., government officials, etc.); 2) analyzing BRFSS, Census, BRFSS call-back survey results and other data; 3) contextual mapping of study communities with geographic information systems; and 4) resource mobilization. The Oregon Office on Disability and Health and partners used the methodology to identify, assess, and portray contextual features in 12 Oregon communities. Disabling physical features included improperly constructed or absent ramps and sidewalks, narrow entryways, and obstructions. Disabling social features included discriminatory hiring practices and poor accommodations in public places. Disabling policy features included bus stops located to increase route efficiency at the expense of accessibility, scant mental health care, a dearth of accessible housing, and poor inter-city public transportation. Data indicated that people with disabilities tend to live in similar neighborhoods. Prioritization of resource mobilization was facilitated by presenting GIS depictions and data analysis to town hall and community infrastructure meeting participants. Project utility in terms of assessing environmental disablement and as a tool for social change will be discussed.

Learning Objectives: At session’s end, participant will be able to

• Articulate the disabling process in terms of environmental context.
• Describe the community engagement initiative methodology, results, and findings.
• Identify additional application for the Community Engagement Initiative methodology.

Keywords: Environment, Access and Services

Related Web page: cdrc.ohsu.edu/oodh/

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Oregon Health and Science University, Oregon Institute on Disability and Development
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.