Welcome to the home page of the Disability and Health Team.  We are part of the new National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) located in Atlanta, Georgia. Our focus is promoting the health of people who are living with disabilities. At-A-Glance: Disability and Health: Promoting Health and Well-being of People with Disabilities 2004 (pdf document, updated June, 2005) Described below are ways to promote the health of people with disabilities:

• Use national and state health survey data to describe the United States population of people with disabilities and describe any ongoing health issues and associated risk factors.  By identifying the population and heath issues, public health can begin to address them.
• Use the ICF Model to assess health outcomes or changes in a person's functioning, disability and health.
• Read about current disability science and health policy in publications.
• Obtain information from national resources to create healthier lifestyles for people with disabilities that involves their families and health professionals.
• Implement various accessibility guidelines to ensure accessible health venues such as, health-care facilities, recreation facilities, health conferences and meetings, news media, publications, and emergency evacuation settings.
• Conduct studies at research oriented universities and community-based organizations.
• Adopt public health interventions that hold promise for reducing secondary conditions, promoting health, and reducing disparities among children and adults with disabilities through state, territory, and tribal disability and health activities.
• Establish community-based efforts to achieve the national health goals for people with disabilities as described in Healthy People 2010.

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This page was last updated December 08, 2005

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