Health beat: International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Around the world, people with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating fully and effectively as equal members of society. Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year's theme is "break barriers, open doors: for an inclusive society for all." The commemoration of this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities provides an opportunity to further raise awareness of disability and accessibility as a cross cutting development issue. It will also further the global efforts to promote accessibility, remove all types of barriers, and to realize the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in society and shape the future of development for all.

Including people with disabilities

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention operates on the principle that people with disabilities are best served by public health when they are included in mainstream public health activities. To that end, inclusion might require appropriate accommodations to reduce or eliminate barriers that limit the participation of people with disabilities in health activities. When children and adults with disabilities receive needed programs, services and health care across their life span, they can reach their full potential, have an improved quality of life, and experience independence.

In 2010, CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden established an initiative to serve the health needs of people with a disability in the United States. The CDC's Disability and Health Work Group was established in 2010 for centers and offices within the agency. The disability inclusion initiative has increased awareness and fostered activities focused on integrating disability into the CDC's mainstream public health activities.

Objectives

People with disabilities need public health programs and health care services for the same reasons anyone does -- to be well, active and a part of the community. The CDC works to include people with disabilities by:

* Improving health monitoring of people of all ages with disabilities to identify disparities in health between people with and without disabilities;

* Including disability status indicators in key CDC monitoring programs;

* Conducting public health research to understand the health risks experienced by people with disabilities;

* Encouraging participation of people with disabilities in program activities conducted or supported by the CDC;

* Developing and disseminating accessible health communications and messages to people with sensory (e.g., blindness, deafness) or cognitive (e.g., intellectual disability) limitations.

Disability resources at CDC

Being healthy means the same thing for everyone -- staying well so we can lead full, active lives. Having the tools and information to make healthy choices and knowing how to prevent illness is key to being well, with or without a disability.

Visit these resources at cdc.gov/features/internationaldaydisabilities to learn more about:

* Personal stories from people living with a disability

* Healthy living

* Accessibility

* Emergency preparedness

Disability and Health Data System

As the CDC commemorates International Day of Persons with Disabilities, it asks everyone to be a part of the global disability movement to change attitudes and approaches to disability to promote the equity and full inclusion of people with disabilities in society and across public health activities.

Health Beat is a weekly spotlight on a wide range of health issues. The information contained here was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. View the CDC features online at www.cdc.gov/features.