National Council on Disability (NCD) EHS/CS Presentation

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Check out this article:  This Washington Post article reports that designating the disabled population in the U.S. as a “health disparity population” allows for more funding and research into the health equity barriers disabled people face.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/09/26/disability-groups-win-fight-be-included-health-equity-research/

Disability groups win fight to be included in health equity research The designation as a “health disparity population” allows for more funding and research into the health equity barriers disabled people face. www.washingtonpost.com

This is a huge development and needs to be supported by all who want to see well-funded, sustained disability research in general and, in addition, begin to address the long-neglected research needs on the population of those whose disabilities are associated with environmental exposure. Appreciation goes to the National Council of Disability, which under the leadership of Andres Gallego, Esq., issued its Health Equity Framework in February 2022, that was aimed at reducing the health disparities of the disabled population in the U.S.  People with disabilities due to electromagnetic fields, from electricity and wireless communications sources, as well as synthetic chemicals, were specifically included in this NCD Health Equity Framework. Stong advocacy by many groups enabled this new recognition. 

Magda Havas, Erica Mallery-Blythe, Susan Molloy, Sheena Symington, and I testified twice about this during 2022. In May 2022, we made an invited presentation to the National Council on Disability: https://www.electrosensitivesociety.com/national-council-on-disability-ncd-ehs-mcs-presentation-may-12-2022/. In the fall of 2022, we testified before a group representing NIDDLRR's long term research plan needs:  https://acl.gov/about-acl/about-national-institute-disability-independent-living-and-rehabilitation-research. We asked that disability research on people with environmental illness be included in NIDDLRR's long term research program. Our testimony was influential in getting this done and this aspect disability research has been included.  It is up to us to make sure this long-neglected area of research is funded. The benefits that would flow from publications in this area of research would bring about societal changes that could lead to greater heath protection from environmental toxins, including increased recognition, diagnosis, treatment, medical education and training, safer housing, improved social services, and overall access and accommodation improvements under federal and state disability laws, etc. could be taken much more seriously. But this, too, will require strong advocacy. 

Elizabeth Kelley MA

Executive Director

Electromagnetic Safety Alliance, Inc.

www.emsafetyalliance.org

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