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Alameda County panel flags large data gaps and persistent poverty among residents with disabilities
Summary
County public health staff and advocates told the Board Health Committee that people with disabilities in Alameda County face higher poverty, housing and employment disparities; presenters urged better disability data collection, ADA technical assistance and a possible Universal Design ordinance.
Supervisor Carson convened the Alameda County Board of Supervisors Health Committee on Nov. 25 for the eighth installment of a county series spotlighting health status across specific populations. County presenters and community advocates described persistent disparities for residents with disabilities and urged steps to improve data, services and accessibility.
Colleen Chawla, Agency Director for Alameda County Health, said the county’s presentations use available national and state surveys as well as local program data to identify needs and guide policy. "We have to integrate data and information so that we can follow trends," she said, framing the two-part briefing on disability and LGBTQIA+ health.
Sandy Galvez, who led the historical and demographic portion of the disability presentation, detailed how exclusionary policies in the 19th and 20th centuries shaped current barriers and reviewed definitions used in the county’s analysis (ADA legal definitions, the World Health Organization frame, and American Community…
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