Disparities data: Improving the health of people with disabilities

An estimated 54 million Americans live with disabilities. The obstacles faced by this population are not only frustrating, but can be costly and life threatening. The challenges that arise when living with a disability impact daily livelihood, but can also increase the risk for secondary health conditions. People with disabilities are at risk for a wide range of negative health outcomes including: adults with disabilities are 58% more likely to be obese than their non-disabled peers; children and adolescents with disabilities are 38% more likely to be obese than children without disabilities; and, fifty percent of people with a complex disability report fair or poor health status, as opposed to only 3% of people with no disability. In 2011 and 2012, NACCHO's Health and Disability Project provided support to four local health departments (LHDs) to increase their knowledge of the health status of people with disabilities in their jurisdiction, and to implement interventions to improve health outcomes for this population. The four LHDs used different methods to assess health status of people with disabilities, and employed different intervention strategies. This presentation will review the health disparities faced by people with disabilities, show how diverse health departments used data to influence programmatic and policy changes to improve health outcomes for people with disabilities, and share significant outcomes and lessons learned. This presentation is intended to be beneficial for health departments and partner organizations interested in implementing programs and policies that will help reduce health disparities for people with disabilities.