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NCHPAD - Building Healthy Inclusive Communities

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What Can Public Health and Health Care Providers Do?


What Can Public Health and Health Care Providers Do?

What does it take to promote health literacy among any group of individuals?  One of the key strategies outlined in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy  to seek out and form partnerships with target audiences, in this case, people with disabilities.  Disability organizations, individuals and their families can be valuable resources for health care and public health professionals looking to ensure that health messaging is accessible to all.  Stakeholders representing a cross-disability perspective understand the best and most accessible means of communicating with people with disabilities.  Health care and public health providers can seek partnership with and resources from disability specific organizations, self-advocacy groups, parent advocacy groups, and professional provider organizations that specialize in providing care to those with disabilities.  A selection of organizations is listed with this article, but it is by no means all inclusive.

Self-Advocacy Organizations
•    Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered
•    National Council on Independent Living
•    National Youth Leadership Network

Cross Disability Organizations:
•    Easter Seals
•    American Association on Health and Disability
•    American Association of People with Disabilities
•    Special Olympics Healthy Athletes

Provider Organizations Specializing in Care of People with Disabilities
•    American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry
•    Special Care Dentistry Association
•    Special Care Advocates in Dentistry

Effective Communication is Key

Since public health and health care has placed such a high importance on health literacy, there have been many tools and resources created to help practitioners understand how to tailor messages.  A few are listed below.  It’s also important to note that federal agencies are required by law to communicate information to the public using plain language under  The Plain Language Act of 2010 and Executive Order 13563, along with other Orders.

•    Health Literacy for Public Health Professionals Web Course
•    “Health Literacy Basics” from the CDC
•    National Plain Language Guidelines
•    CDC Clear Communication Index

 For people with disabilities however, conveying understandable health messages means considering additional issues (although taking an inclusive approach does not have to be-and should not be-considered an extra effort.)  Depending on the media used, messaging should follow accessibility laws and guidelines.  It should also address issues that are specific to people with disabilities (e.g. secondary conditions that develop from being sedentary) and include imagery of people with disabilities engaging in healthy behaviors.  NCHPAD has created several articles and resources related to effective—and inclusive—communication.

NCHPAD Inclusive Communication Resources
NCHPAD Inclusive Health Communication Scorecard

The Caregiver Role

Many individuals with disabilities rely on caregivers for support. Those most directly involved in providing direct care and services to individuals with disabilities can be critical in empowering their client or family member to understand their health issues and make decisions.  Caregivers understand the best ways in which their clients or family members with disabilities consume information and can educate and work with health care providers to ensure that patients with disabilities understand how to improve and maintain their health to the fullest extent possible.  Caregivers can also be a connection to natural supports in the community for individuals they serve.  They interact with employers, coaches and other acquaintances that can reinforce health promotion concepts.  In addition, many individuals with disabilities have what is known as a person centered plan.  This process involves the coming together of various individuals to help an adult with a disability plan for their future and increase opportunities for him or her to be integrated into their community and generally take control of their lives to the fullest extent possible.  This process is an excellent opportunity to address health and wellness and can incorporate strategies to improve an individual’s health literacy.


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