Democracy Dies in Darkness

Disability groups win fight to be included in health equity research

The designation of disabled people as a ‘health disparity population’ allows for more funding and research into the health equity barriers disabled people face

By
September 26, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. EDT
Disability advocates say the NIH's announcement reflects an ongoing shift in medicine from trying to “fix” or cure disabled people toward viewing them more holistically. (Lpettet/Getty Images)
6 min

For years, the National Institutes of Health has funded research on health inequities faced by racial, gender and other underserved communities. But one notable group was left out: people with disabilities.

Now, in a major victory for disability health advocates, the NIH announced today that it has designated people with disabilities as a “health disparity population.”