Describing Intellectual Disability in Local Public Health Community Health Assessments and Community Health...

To describe intellectual disability inclusion in local health department (LHD) community health assessments (CHAs) and community health improvement plans (CHIPs), this study used a cross-sectional design, analyzing CHAs and CHIPs of Public Health Accreditation Board-accredited LHDs. We find that approximately 5% (n = 17) of CHAs included an intellectual disability (ID) partner in the development process. Less than 2% (n = 3) of CHIPs included a goal, objective, or activity that specifically included people with ID. Many CHAs used language that identified ID as a health outcome to be prevented. CHAs and CHIPs play a key role in informing the work conducted by LHDs. Intellectual disability inclusion and representation in CHAs and CHIPs are limited. These findings identify a gap in ID-inclusive verbiage and community-based participation in developing CHAs and CHIPs and the need to increase ID inclusion in these planning processes and documents.