Disability and health inequity

Abstract

It is estimated that 40-50 million Americans have a disability, a number that is rising with the aging of the baby boom generation (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2007). Disability affects persons of every race, culture, age and economic class, with subsets of chronic disabling conditions affecting populations at different rates. Low income populations, particularly racial, linguistic and cultural minorities, are more likely to be exposed to violence and injury that may result in disability (Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality [AHRQ], 2002). Yet persons with a disability are perhaps the largest underserved population in the United States, experiencing inequities in health access and health outcomes. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.