The program for the Annual Meeting, to be held Nov. 8-11 in Philadelphia, is now being finalized.  Of the 159 abstracts submitted to the Disability Section, 44 were chosen for oral presentation and 70 for poster presentation.  Highlights of this year's program include an invited panel on disability issues in health care reform, a session on access to health care jointly organized with the Epidemiology Section of APHA, and a session on the intersection of research, advocacy, and public policy.  Other presentations will focus on health and wellness promotion, social participation, the relationship between mental health and disability, personal assistance services, measurement issues, employment, independent living, and emerging topics in disability research.  Poster sessions will address health promotion, access to care, survey analysis and methods, economic and social participation, and other topics.

Based on the exceptionally high quality of the abstracts received this year and the qualifications of the invited speakers, we are anticipating an outstanding line-up of presentations and discussions.  In addition to the formal program, the Chair's Forum, scheduled for 1 p.m. on Nov. 8, will feature presentations and discussions of papers reflecting work-in-progress on a variety of emerging topics. For further information about the 2009 Disability Section Program, please contact Stephen Kaye at steve.kaye@ucsf.edu