Healthy communities begin with inclusion

Health communities represent the health needs of all community groups. Disability has been ever-present in our communities and is becoming more evident, as veterans return from war, Baby Boomers age, and autism prevalence rises. Given these changing demographics, the purpose of this project is to describe practices that public health students and professionals can utilize to foster inclusion of people with disabilities in community health planning and policies. This project uses the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Healthy People 2020 Disability and Health objectives as guidelines for promoting the health and access to quality healthcare services of people with disabilities. These texts express the interests of people with disabilities and health professionals committed to improving health outcomes. By analyzing these, the project assessed areas of commonality between this law and the current public health agenda. The project identifies opportunities for public health professionals to address the needs of this underserved and marginalized group. The project's findings suggest several key areas for community-centered health planning and policy: 1) recognizing the diversity among those whom identify as people with disabilities and their health needs; 2) creating health information in multiple, alternative formats that goes beyond language translation; 3) advocating for physical and programmatic access to and participation in healthcare and community activities. These findings can be used as a toolkit for public health students and professionals to promote healthy minds and bodies, in a manner that better represents the needs and interests of people with disabilities.