For Immediate Release:
August 29, 2022
Contact:
Leah Smith, Project Coordinator
Organization Aims to Address the Double Burden of Racism and Ableism Within the Health Care System
Thanks to generous support from WITH Foundation, The Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities will expand upon its existing work by addressing racism and ableism within the U.S. healthcare system.
Led by a trio of disabled women- Kara Ayers, Yomi Wrong and Leah Smith- the project will engage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) stakeholders to share their experiences with the healthcare system. The goal is to develop and publish a set of recommendations for Primary Care Physician’s (PCP’s) by 2023.
Studies describe the double burden of racism and ableism leading to “disastrous and sometimes deadly consequences for disabled people of color caught at the violent intersections of multiple differences” (Blick et al, 2015). Bias in power, resources, norms, and values are drivers of these health inequities. Primary Care Physicians will be encouraged to adopt recommendations developed as a result of this work. The resource will also be made available to patients. The project will focus specifically on systemic biases within Organ Transplantation, Prenatal Diagnosis, Aging/End of Life and Mental Health/Suicide Prevention.
“We’re excited for the opportunity from the WITH Foundation to engage in this important work to undo the systems of oppression that white, nondisabled people have created within our healthcare system,” said Kara Ayers, Director of the Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities. “The healthcare inequities that exist for a disabled BIPOC are unacceptable.”
The Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities aims to identify and reduce life-limiting healthcare inequities for People with Disabilities.
The mission of the WITH Foundation is to promote the establishment of comprehensive healthcare for adults with developmental disabilities that is designed to address their unique and fundamental needs.
For more information, contact Leah Smith at 806.239.5582 or Leah.Smith@cchmc.org
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