The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities for research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The decision was made in consultation with, Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD, director of NIMHD and Robert Otto Valdez, PhD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, after consideration of a report by an NIMHD advisory council, input from the disability community, and review of the science and evidence. A report issued by the advisory committee to the NIH director, informed by the work of the Subgroup on Individuals with Disabilities, explored similar issues faced by people with disabilities.
The designation is one of several steps NIH is taking to address health disparities faced by people with disabilities and ensure their representation in NIH research.
“This designation recognizes the importance and need for research advances to improve our understanding of the complexities leading to disparate health outcomes and multilevel interventions,” said Pérez-Stable. “Toward this effort, NIMHD and other NIH institutes launched a new research program to better understand the health disparities faced by people with disabilities who are also part of other populations designated as having health disparities.”
NIH also issued a notice for funding for research applications focused on novel and innovative approaches and interventions that address the intersecting impact of disability, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on healthcare access and health outcomes.
