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Disaster Relief
AUCD's participation in disaster response efforts continues in partnership with FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, Portlight Strategies, the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, Pass It On Center, AT3 Center, and AUCD's Emergency Preparedness interest group, along with many other national and local organizations and governmental agencies. Many AUCD Centers prepared durable medical equipment and related supplies to send to areas hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Information is now available regarding how/where to send DME to people who lost their equipment and supplies in the flooding. All information to help is available on the hurricane response page of the Pass It On Center's website.
Emergency Preparedness
Public Health is for Everyone has a section dedicated to emergency preparedness. Consider sharing your resources and your story @PHis4Everyone on Twitter.
Healthy People 2030 – Let Your Voices Be Heard and Comment Today!
Participate in public comment to help shape Healthy People 2030! Public comment is open until September 29, 2017. The Healthy People initiative develops a set of science-based, national objectives with the goal of improving the health of all Americans. These objectives are developed by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and updated every 10 years. The development of Healthy People 2030 establishes a framework for the initiative and identifying new objectives.
The development of Healthy People 2030 is a multiyear process with input from a diverse group of subject matter experts, organizations, and members of the public. Last week the fifth meeting of the Secretary's Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2030 took place. The Committee reviewed the vision, mission, foundational principles, as well as debated the plan of action and overarching goals.
Photo caption: This slide on data use, flow, and impact was shown during the September Committee discussion. How messy public health data really is!
The AUCD Network now has the opportunity to provide comments to form the nation's public health agenda. Specific areas to address in your comments include:
- Inclusion of disability as a demographic in public health surveys,
- Embedding disability within a social ecological approach, and
- Broadening health equity efforts to include people with disabilities.
The AUCD public health team has provided some sample comments that we hope will assist in your efforts to provide comments. The more that programs and centers across the AUCD network provide comments on these areas of need around including disability in public health efforts, the louder our voice will be!
National Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is observed every year from September 15 to October 15 to recognize the rich cultural influence of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. During this month, we celebrate and highlight Hispanic Heritage and look at key health issues that affect the community and offer resources and events that one can learn from and get informed in English and Spanish language.
Please visit the Office of Minority Health Hispanic Heritage Month site for updates on available downloadable materials and events in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Join the Twitter Chat on Hispanic Health, which is being co-hosted with Salud America on Oct.3, 1-2 pm EDT, with the hashtags #SaludTues #HealthyLatinos
Disability Inclusion in Communities across the US
Disability inclusion remains an important tenet within the Division of Human Development and Disability's (DHDD) Disability and Health Branch, which is why the Branch funded the Reaching People with Disabilities through Health Communities project through the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD). NACDD partnered with the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD) to reach five states and 10 communities across the nation to develop and incorporate inclusive policies and programs at the local level. See their success in this short video.
VA Adopts New Standards for Medical Diagnostic Equipment
 The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will adopt new accessibility standards issued by the U.S. Access Board to ensure access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) at its health care facilities. Under an agreement governing acquistions, the VA will require that new equipment meet the MDE standards which were published in January. The VA's health care network, the largest integrated health care system in the U.S., includes 152 medical centers, nearly 800 community-based outpatient clinics, and over 125 nursing home care units.
Access to MDE has been problematic for people with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids. The Board's standards provide design criteria for examination tables and chairs, including those used for dental or optical exams, weight scales, radiological equipment, mammography equipment and other equipment used for diagnostic purposes by health professionals.
For further information on the MDE standards, visit the Board's website or contact Earlene Sesker at [email protected], (202) 272-0022 (v), or (202) 272-0091 (TTY). Questions about the new VA acquisition policy should be directed to Laurence Meyer at [email protected].
Events from the Network:
AUCD 2017: Register Today
 Conference Date: November 5-8, 2017
The power of our collective voices working together to sustain vital supports and services for people with disabilities and their families cannot be denied. The AUCD Conference brings us together to discuss the strategies, innovations, and systems that will allow us to continue to move the needle forward. Join us at the 2017 AUCD Conference as we celebrate successes, learn from past efforts, seek opportunities in the present, and innovate for the future For more information on the AUCD Conference 2017, visit the conference website.
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