Related Experiment Videos
Public health and disability: emerging opportunities
1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. dc15@cdc.gov
Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
|October 3, 2002
Summary
Public health is increasingly focusing on the health needs of people with disabilities. New frameworks like the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and initiatives like Healthy People 2010 are key to this shift.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Disability Studies
- Health Policy
Background:
- Historically, public health has overlooked the health requirements of individuals with disabilities.
- Recent initiatives signal a growing recognition of this population's health concerns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight emerging opportunities for public health to address the needs of people with disabilities.
- To establish the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) and Healthy People 2010 as foundational elements for this focus.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent federal and international organizational activities.
- Description of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) framework.
- Analysis of the Healthy People 2010 initiative's inclusion of people with disabilities.
Main Results:
- The World Health Organization's ICF provides a conceptual and classification system for public health.
- Healthy People 2010 designates people with disabilities as a targeted population for the first time.
- Emerging opportunities exist for a dedicated public health approach.
Conclusions:
- The ICF offers a robust foundation for public health science and policy concerning disability.
- Healthy People 2010 provides a clear vision for integrating disability into public health efforts.
- A targeted public health focus on people with disabilities is warranted and timely.