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The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities: What It Means to YouDownload Call to Action as a single file (PDF - 726KB) Table of Contents
About This Surgeon General’s Call to ActionThe Surgeon General is the nation’s top public health officer. The President of the United States appoints the Surgeon General to help protect and promote the health of the nation. The Surgeon General provides to the American people the best scientific information available on how to improve health and reduce risk of illness and injury. When a health topic needs special attention, the Surgeon General issues a call to action to the nation. The recently published Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities highlights disability as a major public health issue. About This People’s Piece The Surgeon General believes that when people have information about a public health issue, they are better able to take action to improve their health and wellness and that of their families and their communities. Suggested Citation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 2005 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities: Calling You to Action. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2005. All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from the federal government. Citation of the source is appreciated. What Is Disability?Disability has been defined in many ways. In general, a disability is a feature of the body, mind, or senses that can affect a person’s daily life. Many Americans experience disability first hand.
Today, over 54 million—or 1 in 5—people living in the United States have at least one disability. Based on what we know about disability, the reality is that you or someone you care about will have a disability at some point. That is why the Surgeon General wants everyone to know that disability can affect any of us.
Who Are People with Disabilities?Anyone of any age can have a disability. People of all races and ethnicities can have disabilities. People with disabilities live throughout the United States, in towns, cities, and rural areas. People with disabilities go to school and attend places of worship. They also vote, marry, have children, work, and play. To do all these things, people with disabilities need health care and health programs for the same reasons anyone else does—to stay well, active, and a part of the community. Anyone can have a disability -
Different kinds of disabilities affect people in different ways. And the same disability can affect each person differently. You Can Do a Lot to Improve the Health
and Wellness of People with Disabilities.
People with Disabilities Can Lead Long, Healthy LivesPeople with disabilities need health care and health programs for the same reasons anyone else does—to stay well, active, and a part of the community. Having a disability does not mean you can’t be healthy. Being healthy means the same thing for all of us—getting and staying well so we can lead full, active lives. That means having the tools and information to make healthy choices, and knowing the risk factors for illness. For people with disabilities, it also means knowing that problems related to a disability can be treated. These problems can include pain, depression, and a greater risk for certain illnesses. To be healthy, people with disabilities require health care that meets their needs as a whole person, not just as a person with a disability. People with or without disabilities can stay healthy by learning about and living healthy lifestyles.
What You Can Do
Choosing a Healthy LifestyleThe benefits of good health are obvious. If you feel better, you look better. You’re more open to life and you can enjoy whatever comes your way. Good health lets you learn, work, and play— whether or not you have a disability. With good health, people with disabilities can work, learn, and be active in all areas of life. Although people with disabilities sometimes have a harder time getting and staying healthy than people without disabilities, there are things we can all do to get and stay healthy.
You Are What You Eat
Health Care Professionals Are Responsible for Treating the Whole Person, Not Just the DisabilitySometimes health care professionals and their staffs can have some of the same wrong ideas about people with disabilities as the general public. Some people with disabilities have reported that health care professionals have focused on their disabilities rather than on the health problems that brought them to the providers. Usually, they are not the same thing. Often, it is not easy for people with disabilities to find someone who understands this. There could be many reasons why this occurs, including a lack of proper training. Whatever the reason, the result is often limited or incomplete treatment. We all should expect to get the right health care. Health care professionals can improve the health and wellness of people with disabilities by meeting the needs of the whole person.
What Health Care
Professionals Can Do
Getting Needed Care and ServicesSometimes, we take things for granted—like being able to open a door, climb stairs, fill out a form, or see or hear someone. For people with disabilities, getting health care can be difficult because of lack of access. People with disabilities must be able to get the care and services they need to help them be healthy. Access can include parking spaces close to entrances, well-placed ramps or curb cuts, and doors that are wide and easy to open so that people with disabilities can get into buildings. Once inside, people with disabilities need access to counters that are low enough to reach, print that is large enough to read, and equipment that is easy to use.
Challenges for People
with Disabilities
Access Checklist Offices, parks, health care facilities, schools, or any other public spaces should be built to meet the needs of all of the people who will use the space. Health care professionals should be able to communicate with all of the people who see them. This means making sure that:
Advancing the CallThe Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities was developed to help expand knowledge, understanding, and action by a broad range of people and groups. Each of us has a role to play. We can get out the message that, with good health, people with disabilities can work, learn, and enjoy long, active lives. While disabilities are as different as the people who have them, the challenges and opportunities for people with disabilities often are similar. All of us can and should make the effort to ensure that every person with a disability has the chance to live life to the fullest. If you accept that one person can make a difference, imagine what all of us working together can do. References for People's Piece US Department of Health and Human Services. Surgeon General's call to action to improve the health and wellness of persons with disabilities. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2005. US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity and health: a report of the Surgeon General. US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 1996. Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. The pocket guide to good health
for adults. Washington (DC): US Department of Health and Human Services,
Agency for Health Care Research and Quality: http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/adguide/
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Ten tips to healthy eating
and physical activity for you. Washington (DC): http://www.fitness.gov/10tips.htm
US Access Board. Federal accessibility guidelines. Washington (DC): US Access
Board: http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba/index.htm
AcknowledgementsThis public document was prepared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the direction of the Office of the Surgeon General to make information in the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities available in plain language to improve health literacy on this topic. Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D.C. Kenneth P. Moritsugu, M.D., M.P.H., Deputy Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General, Office of the Secretary, Washington, D.C. Editors and Writers
Editorial and Design Team
For More InformationGood health is necessary for people with disabilities to secure the freedom to work, learn, and engage in their families and communities. For more information about healthy living with a disability, have a frank discussion with your health care professional about how he or she can best meet your needs or the needs of a person in your family with a disability. More information about the Surgeon General’s Call to Action
to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities
can be found on Surgeon General’s website at More advice and assistance about community living for people with disabilities is available from: Office on Disability The words and images in this document serve many purposes and were designed to reach a broad audience. The text is written to promote health literacy and to engage people with disabilities, their families, advocates, and the public at large. It provides tips for action and presents accurate portrayals of individuals with disabilities engaged in daily life in their communities. Both words and pictures remind everyone that disability does not mean inability. Copies of this booklet and the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities can be downloaded from both of the websites noted. To order copies by mail, please contact the Office on Disability. Documents in PDF format require the Adobe Acrobat Reader®. If you experience problems with PDF documents, please download the latest version of the Reader®. Last revised: January 10, 2008 |