Sociology in Action: Advancing Health Equity for Persons and Populations with Disabilities

Session Submission Type: Invited Session (90 minute)

Description

In 2023, the National Institutes of Health designated people with disabilities as a “health disparity population,” acknowledging the disproportionate health challenges they face and marking a major step toward health equity. This recognition prioritized research to understand and address the root causes of health disparities for people with disabilities—alongside racial and ethnic minoritized groups, those with lower socioeconomic status, and sexual and gender minorities. However, shifts in the federal landscape have since deprioritized people with disabilities in NIH and federally funded research, undermining this progress. As equity for people with disabilities fades from federal research priorities, it is imperative that sociologists champion research in this area. This session showcases innovative research and scholars who advance this agenda, applying a sociological lens to deepen understanding of social inequality and health disparities affecting people with disabilities. Guided by Dr. Jennifer James, a Black Feminist scholar, the moderated panel will feature leading scholars who take intersectional and structural approaches to studying disability and health. The dialogue will invite audience engagement to foster critical exchange and advance sociology’s commitment to engaged research and to creating a more just and inclusive society.

Sub Unit

• Thematic Session

Presider

• Jennifer Elyse James, University of California, San Francisco

Panelists

• Subini Annamma, Stanford University

• Laura Mauldin, University of Connecticut

• David Nicholas Pettinicchio, University of Toronto

Session Organizer

• Erin Josephine McCauley, University of California-San Francisco