According to an NIH press release, this plan provides a comprehensive road map to advance innovative, responsible research that promotes the health and well-being of Americans with disabilities.
NIH recognizes that disabled Americans have health needs and goals both related and unrelated to their disabilities. The plan outlines a person-centered approach that places individuals, not their impairments, at the center of scientific inquiry.
NIH will leverage the strengths of its Institutes, Centers and Offices (ICOs) to provide coordinated support for research that examines and addresses the effects of medical conditions, nonmedical factors and their interaction on the health and well-being of Americans with disabilities.
The plan outlines strategic goals and objectives in four areas:
In addition, four crosscutting themes identify important overarching considerations that intersect with multiple goals and objectives of the plan:
- Whole-person health
- Inclusion of people with disabilities in research
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Technology
The goals, objectives and themes supplement relevant ICO research areas and will guide NIH-wide disability health research for the next five years. Moving forward, NIH will put this strategic plan into action in collaboration with a wide range of individuals and organizations with expertise in disability.
For more information, visit dpcpsi.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih.gov.
