Promoting equity at the population level: Putting the foundational principles into practice through disability advocacy

Abstract

Rehabilitation psychology is based on foundational principles that can guide us toward health equity among disabled and nondisabled communities. We summarize the literature on disparities in the disability community and underscore the urgency to address underlying inequities to eliminate disparities. We include examples of population-level interventions that promote equity in the disability community. We conclude with a call for a broader mission for rehabilitation psychologists based on the field's foundational principles, and outline emerging opportunities to widen our impact and advance equity. Our foundational principles, built on systems theory, call on rehabilitation psychologist to work at macrosystemic levels. As rehabilitation psychologists, we need to widen our focus from the micro (individual) to the macro (population) level. We need to bring the respect, dignity, and collaborative spirit that inspire our work with individuals to the broader community by advocating for structures and policies that promote equity for disabled persons. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Figure 1.

Advanced organizer of the commentary “Promoting Equity at the Population Level: Putting the Foundational Principles Into Practice through Disability Advocacy.” DDC = Durham Diabetes Coalition; ADA-PARC = Americans with Disabilities Act—Participatory Action Research Consortium.

Figure 2.

Rehabilitation psychology foundational principles and emerging opportunities for rehabilitation psychologists to promote health equity among the disability community.