Reimagining accessible refugee resettlement: A call for integrating reliable, rights-based disability data

Refugees with disabilities remain among the most underserved groups in humanitarian and resettlement contexts, facing systemic barriers that are further compounded by the absence of reliable, disaggregated disability data. War, displacement, and climate-related crises have increased the prevalence of physical and mental disabilities among the displaced population. Simultaneously, inconsistent screening practices and diagnostic-only approaches that are not aligned with disability rights frameworks undermine equitable resettlement for refugees with disabilities in the United States and elsewhere. Barriers include limited access to healthcare, assistive technology, and vocational services. For example, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Significant Medical Conditions (SMC) form, used to communicate refugee health needs, may not systematically capture functional limitations, accommodation needs/preferences, and non-diagnosed functional disabilities. As a result, resettlement agencies and disability service providers are ill-prepared to support refugees with disabilities upon arrival. Drawing on lessons learned from community-based research across multiple U.S. states, this commentary calls for a rights-based, standardized approach to disability data collection in refugee resettlement. We recommend supplementing the SMC with a comprehensive disability-status question, incorporating questions on accommodation needs and preferences, and strengthening referral pathways to community-based disability organizations upon arrival. Accurate and integrated disability data are essential for immediate support and for ensuring long-term integration, civil rights compliance, and equity in resettlement outcomes.