Health and Disability Partnership

The Health and Disability Partnership is a group of people with disabilities and other people who care about the health of people with disabilities. It helps advise the state Health and Disability Program and other programs in the Department of Public Health. It also helps people with disabilities stay up to date on important health issues. 

The Partnership meets four times a year and keeps in touch by e-mail in between meetings. Its work ensures that the Health and Disability Program’s activities are carried out in the spirit of “nothing about us without us”.    

The Partnership also helps people with disabilities know they/we are not alone. According to one Partnership co-chair, “You are not alone. We welcome everybody with disabilities at these meetings.” 

The Partnership has helped the Health and Disability Program (HDP) by:  

• Gathering data and prioritizing issues for HDP’s statewide health needs assessment of people with disabilities and their care providers;  

• Keeping HDP aware of important concerns in the disability community;  

• Collaborating to make the best use of people and resources;  

• Including people with disabilities in emergency preparedness efforts;  

• Improving access to health care providers and facilities;  

• Promoting the work of HDP within the disability community;  

• Helping develop workplans for HDP activities and grant applications;  

• Bringing accessible, culturally competent health promotion programs to people with disabilities;  

• Planning for the sustainability of HDP and Partnership activities beyond the current grant cycle.  

Join the Partnership  

Would you like to help the state understand the experiences of people with disabilities? The state Health and Disability Program needs your help to make sure they're doing their work right. Join the Health and Disability Partnership and come to our meetings!   

• You will be added to the Partnership’s e-mail list to receive updates about the work of the Partnership, the Health and Disability Program, and other topics affecting the health of people with disabilities.  
• You will be invited to come to 4 meetings a year where you will hear about things affecting the health of people with disabilities.  These meetings are an hour and a half long.   
• You will be invited to meetings to talk about your needs and the needs of other people with disabilities.   
• You will be invited to give your thoughts on how the Health and Disability Program at the Department of Public Health should work.   
• You will get to talk with other people who care about disability issues.

For more information, please email the Health and Disability Program at [e-mail].