Today, birth defects, developmental and other disabilities, healthcare disparities in disability, and health and wellness for people with disabilities are not commonly noted in medical health education and services programs.
CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) mandates that a “Disability Research and Dissemination Center” (DRDC) be established. In order for DRDC to do its job, a collaborative effort will be needed to establish organizations, networks and groups to carry out public health research and training in this specialized field.
The collaborative will bring together prominent disability experts in pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, preventive medicine, public health, behavioral health, genetics, epidemiology and biostatistics, health promotion, nursing, social work, and related fields located within universities, schools of public health, and medical schools throughout the U.S.
DRDC will be organized to provide:
- The infrastructure and coordination for the center’s activities
- Research to support NCBDDD priorities
- Training and evidence-based programs to catalogue and promote evidence-based practices for wellness
- Education for professionals
- Information for stakeholders and others
- Information on the progress of the center
The program will be housed at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, NY, and at the American Association on Health and Disability in Washington D.C.