| The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | | | | doctors, stakeholders, and communities across the |
| (CDC) recently released a disturbing report analyzing | | | | country. |
| the significant increase in the number of people with | | | | Healthy People releases their updated objectives |
| disabilities in the United States. In that report, the CDC | | | | every ten years. In early 2009, Healthy People |
| found that nearly one in five adults reported having a | | | | released their proposed objectives for 2020, which |
| disability. The number of individuals with disabilities grew | | | | included their goals, focus areas, and criteria for |
| by 3.4 million between 1995-2005. Although the | | | | prioritizing objectives and can be viewed on their |
| increase in the amount of disabled individuals is | | | | website at Soon, they should be releasing their 2020 |
| alarming, the report failed to mention any finding as to | | | | objectives along with their guidance for achieving the |
| what caused such an increase. With the number of | | | | new decade's targets. |
| disabled individuals growing and a poor healthcare | | | | There are several brand new objectives that will be |
| system in place, this begs the question, what is the | | | | added to the 2020 initiative that are particular to people |
| government actually doing to improve the overall health | | | | with disabilities. Under DSC HP2020-14, Healthy People |
| of the citizens in this country? One answer to that | | | | 2020 will aim to "Reduce the proportion of people with |
| question is the Healthy People 2020 initiative. | | | | disabilities reporting delays in receiving primary and |
| The Healthy People initiative was established in 1979 | | | | periodic preventive care due to specific barriers." DSC |
| by the United States Surgeon General's "Report on | | | | HP2020-14 goes on to include difficulties accessing the |
| Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Healthy | | | | provider, no transportation, and inability to afford |
| People." Upon its inception, Healthy People has set and | | | | services as the primary focus of this objective. Other |
| monitored national health objectives to meet a very | | | | objectives in the new 2020 initiative will include: |
| broad range of health needs. A new set of objectives | | | | "increase the number of U.S. master of public health |
| is created every decade to account for changes in | | | | programs that offer graduate-level courses in disability |
| the health of the nation's citizens and affects all of the | | | | and health; reduce the proportion of older adults with |
| segments of the health care community including: | | | | disabilities who use inappropriate medications; and |
| treatment to numerous conditions, raised awareness | | | | reduce the proportion of people with disabilities who |
| activities, prevention, and community involvement. In | | | | report on non-fatal unintentional injuries that require |
| order to improve its objectives, Healthy People seeks | | | | medical care. |
| input from hundreds of health organizations, scholars, | | | | |