Celebrating 31 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act

During July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) observes the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). First enacted on July 26, 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.

In the United States, 61 million adults have some type of disability, with the most prominent disabilities being mobility (serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs), followed by cognition (serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions). The prominence of disabilities can also vary based on factors such as ethnicity with 2 in 5 Non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives having a disability. Individuals with disabilities have also been shown to have an increased likelihood of poorer overall health and less access to adequate health care.

Individuals with disabilities are among CMS OMH’s priority populations and we are focused on ensuring that people with disabilities have access to quality health care services and information. The anniversary of the ADA offers us an opportunity to reaffirm this commitment and share resources that you can use to help empower those with disabilities.

Use these resources to learn more and share with your community. You can also visit the CMS OMH Health Observance page. After the anniversary ends, you can find resources on the CMS OMH page at https://go.cms.gov/omhdisabilities.

Resources

Download and share Supporting the Preventive Health Care Needs of Dually Eligible Women with Disability, an RIC resource guide intended for providers, care managers, care coordinators, and other clinical staff at health plans and provider organizations who are interested in better meeting the preventive health care needs of dually eligible women with disabilities.