Ending Health Disparities for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Health inequality for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) is rampant. As a direct
result of being pushed to the back of the line and underserved by the health care
system, people with ID are dying up to 20 times sooner than the general population,
often from preventable conditions such as constipation or seizures.
Enough is enough.
“Ending Health Disparities for People with ID” was a virtual event made possible by
Special Olympics partner Golisano Foundation and featured global health leaders,
including:
• Dr. Timothy Shiver, Special Olympics Chairman
• Dr. Alicia Bazzano, Special Olympics Chief Health Officer
• Kiera Byland, Special Olympics Global Health Messenger
• Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean, Baylor College of Medicine National School of Tropical
Medicine
• Dr. Emily Hotez, Assistant Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
• Dr. Vikram Patel, Professor of Global Health at Harvard Medical School
• Hon. Mike Lake, PC, MP for Edmonton-Wetaskiwin
• Dr. Mehmet Oz, Cardiothoracic Surgeon & TV personality
• Karen Ryan, Inclusion Activist and parent of a Special Olympics athlete
• Aliya Zainab, Special Olympics Pakistan athlete
• Dereck Boutilier, Special Olympics Nova Scotia athlete
Watch the event in full, then ask your health care provider what THEY are doing to improve the situation for people with ID. Do they treat patients with ID? Why not? Until every population is protected, you too could be at risk. Because health is health - for everyone. #InclusiveHealth