Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability

The Long Term Health Advocacy Working Group was formed in August 2024 by the Disability and Health Sector Consultative Committee. Jayne Lehmann, Director of EdHealth Australia, Co-Chaired the Working Group with Heather McMinn, from National Disability Services. The Working Group was created as a time-limited group to define the key advocacy barriers experienced by people with disability in health settings in relation to:
• Opportunities for people with disability to increase their own individual health advocacy and health literacy.
• Systemic barriers within health settings that impact opportunities for short and long-term health advocacy of people with disability.

This report provides an important overview of the key barriers faced by people with disability in advocating for their health rights and needs across health settings. Key concerns at a system level contributing to health advocacy barriers are also outlined.

What can you do with this report?

READ

It’s easy to read but hard to accept the range of issues currently contributing to people with an intellectual disability dying 27 years earlier than those without intellectual disability.

BE INSPIRED

The findings will provide people working within disability and health services with greater insight into the issues. This understanding also delivers opportunity for broader action by individuals with the opportunity to improve their systems to address health access and delivery inequity for people with intellectual disability. The most important question to consider when reading this report is, “What can I do to support people with an intellectual disability to receive better quality health services?” Additional action is also required for much improved support for people with intellectual disability to live a healthier lifestyle. Acting on the issues identified in this report is the way Australia can deliver on their commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.

SHARE

People don’t know what they don’t know. Share the report far and wide to inspire others to make a change for the better. Little changes create waves of change. It shows respect for people with intellectual disability and their right to access and receive high quality and safe health care. You might be surprised how much can be achieved if individuals with the power to change look at their current systems and commit to change that delivers a longer and better quality of life to people with intellectual disability. We all have that right. Help people with intellectual disability to achieve theirs.

Final- Health Advocacy Working Group Report – Barriers and Issues in Health Advocacy for People with DisabilityDownload

The Australian Government launched the National Roadmap for Improving the Health of People with Intellectual Disability

The roadmap aims to:

  • improve support for people with intellectual disability, their families and carers
  • develop better models of care for people with intellectual disability
  • support health professionals to deliver quality care for people with intellectual disability
  • improve the oral health of people with intellectual disability
  • improve monitoring of the health of people with intellectual disability
  • ensure emergency plans and responses meet the needs of people with intellectual disability.

EdHealth Director, Jayne Lehmann is a member of the Roadmap Implementation Governance Group and Disability and Health Sector Consultation Committee, appointed due to her professional and personal expertise in disability health.

The Australian Government is investing $43.3 million to fund the following priorities of the roadmap:

EdHealth Director inspires better healthcare for people with cognitive disability

EdHealth Australia Director, Jayne Lehmann is a popular presenter of education sessions at seminars, conferences and in university courses across Australia. Focused on the needs of people with a cognitive disability and diabetes, Jayne provides presentations on diabetes and disability health care and support. Weaved throughout her presentations are stories and clinical vignettes to bring the information to life, creating informed, entertaining and highly evaluated education opportunities for the health and disability sectors across Australia.

Click! to find out about the presentations by Jayne, available online for you to watch.