Health Equity

Promoting health equity for Pennsylvanians with disabilities through public health programs, services, and research.

What is health equity?

“Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. This requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences, including powerlessness and lack of access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education and housing, safe environments, and health care.” (RWJF.org)

Health equity recognizes that people with disabilities are a medically underserved population, who face many systemic barriers to achieving optimal health and wellbeing.

Inclusive Health Equity Collaborative

The Inclusive Health Equity Collaborative (IHEC) was formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in recognition of the disproportionate impact on people with disabilities, including those with mental health concerns and aging populations. COVID-19 magnified the health disparities that are experienced by people with disabilities in the Commonwealth. The mission of the Inclusive Health Equity Collaborative is to promote health equity during the pandemic and improve the everyday health and wellbeing of our communities.

This Collaborative brings together the Institute on Disabilities, TechOWL, the Center for Self Determination, Self-Direction and Self-Care (CS3), the Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion, and the REACH Lab.

Resources about Health Equity

(Coming soon.)

Partners in the Inclusive Health Equity Collaborative

Institute on Disabilities

Sally Gould-Taylor, PhD – Executive Director, Institute on Disabilities; Research Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Development at Temple University
Kathryn Burke, PhD – Senior Research Associate, Institute on Disabilities; Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Development at Temple University

https://disabilities.temple.edu

TechOWL

Center for Self-Determination, Self-Direction and Self-Care

Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion

REACH – Research, Engagement and Advocacy Community Participation and Health

Programs and Activities

COVID-19 Health Disparities Project

This project addresses COVID-19 related health disparities and advances health equity by expanding resources, services, and support for Pennsylvanians. This project is funded by the CDC's National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved through the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

More about the COVID-19 Health Disparities Project

Pandemic Impact Study

This project examines the impact of the pandemic on the lives of older adults in nursing homes, people with developmental and physical disabilities, and the staff who have cared for them.

This project is funded by the Catalytic Collaborative Funding Initiative, administered by Temple’s Office of the Vice President for Research, which provides seed funding to studies that allow researchers from different parts of the university to combine their expertise in investigating cutting-edge areas of technology, energy, biology and health.