Promoting a new research agenda: health disparities research at the intersection of disability, race, and ethnicity

Abstract

Background: Differences in access to and receipt of health care have been extensively documented across racial and ethnic groups. Similarly, a growing body of research has documented disparities between people with and without disabilities in obtaining needed health care. However, our understanding of the intersection of disability with race and ethnicity in health care is very limited.

Objectives: The purpose of this supplement is to begin to bridge the gap between research on racial and ethnic health disparities and research on disability-related health disparities.

Results: The papers in this supplement examine evidence of racial and ethnic disparities within various populations of people with disabilities, and explore unique issues at the intersection of disability, race, and ethnicity.

Conclusions: The studies in this issue provide a starting point, and are intended to serve as an impetus for building a more robust literature on health care issues impacting the expanding segment of United States population that both experience disability and belong to racial and ethnic groups other than non-Hispanic white.