News from American Association on Health and Disability
American Association on Health and Disability Launches New Publication Entitled “Disability and Public Health in the Media”
AAHD has launched a new weekly electronic newsletter entitled Disability and Public Health in the Media. You may view archived issues at www.aahd.us. The weekly issue highlights articles related to disability that have been portrayed in the media over the last week. To receive this free newsletter, please email contact@aahd.us
American Association on Health and Disability Academic 2011-2012 Scholarships Available
Academic scholarships are available for students with disabilities majoring in a field related to disability. Funds are limited, and scholarships will be competitive. Scholarships will be limited to under $1,000. The AAHD Board of Directors Scholarship Committee will evaluate each of the applicants and make a decision in December of each calendar year. The 2011 AAHD Scholarship Award will be awarded in January 2012. Please circulate this announcement to your constituents and colleagues. The application and criteria are available at www.aahd.us under Scholarships.
News from NCMRR
The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research Presents Panel Discussion at 2011 APHA Annual Meeting with Implications for Public Health Researchers in the Area of Disability
The National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research at NIH will present a panel discussion on the topic of “Implications of Rehabilitation Research for the Field of Public Health” on Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 12:30 – 2 p.m. in the Washington Convention Center, Room 103A. This meeting is sponsored by the APHA Disability Section.
The purpose of the Panel Discussion is to explore the implications of rehabilitation research for public health research and programs, especially as they relate to improving the health and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Chairing the Panel is Dr. Michael Weinrich, director of NCMRR, who will speak about “Rehabilitation Research to Inform Public Health.” Dr. Louis Quatrano, director of the Behavioral Sciences and Rehabilitation Technologies Branch, will discuss, “Rehabilitation Research and Prevention of Disability and Secondary Conditions.” Following Dr. Quatrano’s talk, Dr. Alan Jette of Boston University will discuss “Rehabilitation Outcomes Research and the NCMRR Boston Contemporary Outcome Measurement Network.” Dr. Katherine Froehlich-Grobe of the University of Texas School of Public Health will speak about a “Community-based Program for Promoting Exercise for Wheelchair Users.” Finally, Dr. Dawn Ehde of the University of Washington will discuss her research on “Efficacy of Telephone Delivered Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain.” Sufficient time will be allowed for a question and answer period.
This session will be of interest to public health professionals in research and programs for individuals with disabilities.
News From WHO and World Bank- 2011 World Report on Disability
The World Health Organization and the World Bank presented the first World Report on Disability in June 2011. The following is from their news release:
This report provides the first global estimates of persons with disabilities in 40 years and an overview of the status of disability in the world. New research shows that almost one-fifth of the estimated global total of persons living with disabilities, or between 110-190 million, encounter significant difficulties. The report stresses that few countries have adequate mechanisms in place to respond to the needs of people with disabilities.
"Disability is part of the human condition," says WHO Director-General D.r Margaret Chan. "Almost every one of us will be permanently or temporarily disabled at some point in life. We must do more to break the barriers which segregate people with disabilities, in many cases forcing them to the margins of society."
“Addressing the health, education, employment, and other development needs of people living with disabilities is fundamental to achieving the Millennium Development Goals," says Robert B. Zoellick, President of The World Bank Group. “We need to help people with disabilities to gain equitable access to opportunities to participate and contribute to their communities. They have much to offer if given a fair chance to do so.”
Regarding health, education and employment, the report shows that people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to find healthcare provider skills inadequate to meet their needs, and nearly three times more likely to report being denied needed health care. In low-income countries people with disabilities are 50 percent more likely to experience catastrophic health expenditure than non-disabled people. Children with disabilities are less likely to start school than nondisabled children and have lower rates of staying in school. In Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, the employment rate of people with disabilities (44 percent) is slightly over half that for people without disabilities (75 percent).
Welcoming the report, renowned theoretical physicist Prof. Stephen Hawking said, "We have a moral duty to remove the barriers to participation for people with disabilities, and to invest sufficient funding and expertise to unlock their vast potential… It is my hope this century will mark a turning point for inclusion of people with disabilities in the lives of their societies."
Nearly 150 countries and regional organizations have signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and 100 have ratified it, committing them to removing barriers so that people with disabilities may participate fully in their societies. The World Report on Disability, developed with contributions from over 380 experts, will be a key resource for countries implementing the CRPD.