Brochure for social inclusion of people with disabilities: Brochure

Pretest results for the brochure are provided as well.

Brochure Topic: Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities

Five adults were asked to read the brochure and provide their feedback on its message, presentation, and appeal. Three women and two men were selected to participate. The participants read the brochure and were asked for their input individually as opposed to a focus group approach. The participants were asked to name the first thing about the brochure that caught their eye. Half of the participants named the photo on the cover of the brochure, while the other half mentioned the color and background design of the brochure. The participants were asked to identify the brochure’s message; all participants said that people with disabilities should not be excluded from main society and that they are able to do things that non-disabled people are. All participants stated that the brochure did raise their interest in the subject; the majority of the participants mentioned never hearing about this topic prior to reading the brochure. Every participant claimed the wording was appropriate for the general public and was compatible for the general public’s reading level. Two participants suggested some adjustments to the brochure’s formatting (creating a new paragraph, font size) and sentence structure. One participant mentioned the order of information presented on the brochure might be confusing to some readers. All participants agreed that the brochure is a good channel to disseminate information about people with disabilities and health. Overall, this pretest of this brochure presented quantitative and qualitative data that suggest a promising outcome from using this brochure.

K.Pridgen_News.Release

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Kristin Pridgen

February 17, 2014 Email: kbadger6@liberty.edu

Website: https://disablednotunable.wordpress.com/

Disabled Doesn’t Equal Unable

Program Addresses Need for Health Promotion Programs for People with Disabilities

(Flesch-Kincaid Reading Level – 9.9)

(RALEIGH, NC) Wake County Human Services will work with the new program, Disabled ≠ Unable Program to bring more services for people with special needs in the county.

There are up to fifty-six million Americans who have special needs, and in North Carolina, there are around thirteen percent of citizens with special needs. There are a large number of people in this country who have special needs, but they do not get the best health care services. In the United States, there are only sixteen programs that promote health and wellness to people with special needs. Poor health services are given to people with special needs. Studies show that people with special needs do not get check-ups to test for cancer, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol on a regular basis.

The Disabled ≠ Unable Program calls for the making of health programs for people with special needs and for them to be included in main society. This program is key, because these people receive poor health care services. Less than half of people with special needs have poor health. Health care workers have said that they do not feel at ease or educated enough to work with people with special needs. The workers’ lack of education and comfort cause many people with special needs to go to the hospital for health problems instead of seeing a regular doctor. People with special needs go to the emergency room up to nineteen times a year.

There is a big need for equal health care services, but not all health centers are able to give better care to people with special needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a forum about health for people with handicaps. Monika Mitra, Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School put stress on the importance of including people with special needs in main society: “We need to move towards a barrier free environment so that people with disabilities can access medical offices, diagnostic equipment, gyms, and the community at large.”

Mitra’s comment and the facts on poor health services show how important the need is for better health services and social acceptance for people with special needs. In the United States, only one in three adults with special needs say they join in their community’s activities, and the majority of adults with special needs say that they are pleased with their lives. Yet, minorities who have special needs are less content with their lives and do not engage in their community. Equal services are needed for all people with special needs. More health promotion programs and social inclusion for people with special needs can boost this group of people to become driven to have good health and to feel at ease in their community.

For more information on the Disabled ≠ Unable Program and ways to become involved, contact Kristin Pridgen at kbadger6@liberty.edu or visit the website at www.disablednotunable.wordpress.com.

Disabled ≠ Unable Program calls for better and equal health care services for people with special needs and their inclusion in the community activities in North Carolina. Disabled ≠ Unable Health Promotion Program is partnered by The Arc of North Carolina.

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