Public Health is for Everyone: Inclusive Planning Toolkit for Public Health

Over 54 million Americans have a disability, yet many health promotion programs do not include them in their program design. This is particularly concerning as individuals with disabilities are more likely to have health concerns, including chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes and higher prevalence of smoking. Increased risk for these and other health conditions underscores the importance of including people with disabilities in public health efforts. The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) collaborated with the Disability and Health Program at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through their Cooperative Agreement, to convene a national group of disability and health experts to design a web-based toolkit for professionals. The toolkit features inclusive public health programs and tools developed by the CDC's State Disability and Health Grantees, national resource centers, and other partners in the field. Function and design of the site reflect feedback from interviews with public health professionals and disability advocates. The toolkit is being disseminated by CDC, AUCD, and other partners as a resource for addressing health disparities by ensuring people with disabilities are incorporated into and reached by larger public health efforts. Usage data on how resources from this toolkit have impacted public health planning efforts will be available at the time of presentation. Public health practitioners are able to access resources for designing and implementing inclusive public health programs for all Americans. This toolkit reinforces the notion that health promotion is for everyone.