Disabilities

Guest: Gloria Krahn, the Barbara Emily Knudson Endowed Chair in Family Policy Studies at the College of Public Health at Oregon State University  People with disabilities face myriad health challenges related to their conditions—but that doesn’t account for the unusually high rates of preventable diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity they experience, says public health policy expert Gloria Krahn. Her recent article in the American Journal of Public Health makes the case for a more systematic approach to improving the health of Americans with disabilities, which trails other segments of the population, despite some $400 billion a year spent on their medical care and long-term services.