Opportunities and Challenges

Several challenges exist in the focus area and represent opportunities for research and program development across all agencies. For instance, the demand for personal care assistance and caregivers exceeds the supply of care services available nationwide, and the pay is often low. Possible strategies to increase the caregiver labor pool and job competence include making this employment sector more attractive through credentialing and career or social standing, higher pay, and job benefits for caregivers.¹¹ Personal care assistance and caregivers are critical to health and well-being, community-based living, and societal participation, including education and employment.¹²

Health disparities among people with and without disabilities are observed in several of the Healthy People 2010 focus areas. For example, data from the Healthy People 2010 cancer objectives (Focus Area 3) reveal that the proportion of women with disabilities who received mammograms in the past 2 years (objective 3-13) increased from 64 percent in 1998 to 65 percent in 2003. However, the proportion of women with disabilities who received Pap tests within the past 3 years (objective 3-11b) decreased from 79 percent in 1998 to 75 percent in 2003.¹³ Such data highlight public health issues that exist beyond the condition-specific needs of individuals with disabilities.¹⁴ The challenge lies in identifying and implementing evidenced-based health promotion practices that include people with disabilities.

More effective health promotion for persons with disabilities, including prevention of secondary health conditions and elimination of disparities between persons with and without disabilities, will improve participation in education, employment, and community activities among this population.

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