Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2020

Keywords

Disability, Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act, Affordable Care Act, Healthy People, Health Disparities, Health Data, Wellness, Public Health, Health Care Access, Disability Discrimination

Abstract

Ensuring that the almost 60 million Americans with disabilities live as healthy and independent lives as possible is an important goal for our nation. This evidence-based report highlights efforts to better use law and policy to support and protect people with disabilities. Specifically, it examines how existing federal laws and policies could be leveraged by states, communities, and other sectors to reduce barriers to primary and preventive care; reduce barriers to local health and wellness programs; increase access to leisure, social, or community activities (and indirectly, to religious activities) for individuals with disabilities; and generate better disability data needed to inform and support efforts to reach these and other disability and health objectives. This report also features specific, real-world examples of legal community strategies or interventions, or Laws and Policies in Action, to illustrate how law and policy is used to make progress on each of these objectives.

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