Our Mission
Innovations in our health-care system present opportunities
to provide better quality of care for people with disabilities. The challenge
is to understand the dynamics of providing people-centered services to
consumers who are:
- Diverse in types of disabilities
and ethnocultural backgrounds
- Frequent consumers who may be high utilizers
of care
- Knowledgeable health-care consumers
- Aware of their legal right to accommodations
in the health-care system
Diverse Consumers
The experience of disability varies widely according to
type of disability and ethnocultural background. How does the health care
system provide disability appropriate and culturally competent services
to these many kinds of consumers?
Frequent Consumers
As more frequent consumers, many people with disabilities
use a greater share of resources. How can the health-care system advance
their health, well-being, and longevity, while promoting efficient use
of those resources? To those ends, we need to support self-directed health
and wellness among people with disabilities. This will not only help prevent
additional costly health complications, but also maximize their functioning
and productivity in the community.
Knowledgeable Consumers
Many people with disabilities are more knowledgeable health-care
consumers than their nondisabled counterparts. How can the health-care
system use that knowledge on behalf of both the health of individuals
with disabilities and efficient health-care delivery?
Legally Aware Consumers
Many consumers with disabilities are increasingly aware
of their legal rights to access and accommodations in the health-care
system. How can we comply with those requirements equitably and cost effectively?
Physical access to health-care facilities and communication access to
health-care services are only the starting point. Beyond compliance, we
need appropriately accommodating and culturally competent services.
We can accomplish these objectives only by integrating
medical services, community resources, and health promotion research.
We must translate them into appropriate services that help people with
disabilities “Live Healthy with a Disability.”
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