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Women with disability experience significantly more violence and abuse than their nondisabled peers. Efforts to implement, evaluate, and scale-up strategies to prevent violence against women are rapidly expanding, but we know less about "what works" to prevent violence against women with disability. While secondary and tertiary prevention aim to identify violence early and prevent further occurrence, this review focuses on primary prevention. In the disability services sector, primary prevention is sometimes referred to as safeguarding and covers a range of activities that aim to address the underlying determinants of violence to prevent it from happening in the first place. The aim of this review is to identify and synthesize research on evaluated interventions addressing the primary prevention of violence against women with disability and explore evidence about their quality and effectiveness. A systematic search across the bibliographic databases of Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and PsychInfo for peer-reviewed literature published in English on or after January 1, 2010, yielded 483 papers of potential interest. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for review. Data were extracted and the quality of the studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Most studies reported outcomes from pre- and post-test research designs and received a weak rating of quality. Although interventions targeting awareness, knowledge, and skill development showed evidence of effectiveness, there is a distinct lack of program development that draws on known risk factors for violence such as the intersection of ableism and gender inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loneliness can have a detrimental impact on health, yet little is known about the association between disability and loneliness. Methods: Secondary analysis of three waves of data collected between 2017 and 2020 by the UK's annual household panel study, Understanding Society. Direct age-standardisation was used to compare the prevalence of loneliness at each wave and the persistence of loneliness across all three waves for participants with/without disabilities aged 16–65 years. Transitional probabilities for the stability of loneliness, the stability of non-loneliness, the onset of loneliness and the offset of loneliness between consecutive waves were also estimated. Results: At each wave, the prevalence of loneliness was significantly higher among respondents with disabilities than respondents without disabilities; these inequalities persisted with no evidence of change over time. The prevalence of persistent loneliness was 46% for respondents with disabilities compared with 22% for respondents without disabilities. Risk factors for the likelihood of persistent loneliness included disability, financial stress, not living as a couple, living in rented accommodation, being female and not being employed. The probability of the onset and stability of loneliness between successive waves were markedly higher for people with disabilities compared with people without disabilities. Conclusion: Adults with disabilities were more likely to experience loneliness, become lonely and remain lonely over time than their peers. Policies and interventions aimed at reducing loneliness should ensure that they are accessible and effective for people with disabilities. Further research is needed to explore the health outcomes of persistent loneliness among people with/without disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disability face heightened vulnerability during disasters due to functional limitations and inadequate support. This study explores disaster preparedness, capabilities, and support needs among Australians with disability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, aligned with the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) framework: a co-designed and tested framework that helps people with disability assess their capabilities, identify their needs, communicate with others, and plan for different emergency scenarios. Data collection involved self-administered online surveys and interviewer-administered telephone surveys through convenience sampling. Descriptive statistics and regression modelling were employed for data analysis. Of the 138 respondents, most were female (68.1%) and aged 60–69 (23.9%). While 60.3% had emergency plans, motivators included enhancing survival chances (36.7%) and past disaster experiences (22.7%). Barriers included uncertainty about preparation (22.0%) and difficulty obtaining information (11.3%). Those perceiving bushfire risk were more likely to have a plan (p = 0.004), while individuals living alone were less likely (p = 0.019). Common preparedness actions included safely storing important documents (57.5%), but fewer had backup plans for support workers (9.2%) or home generators (9.7%). Respondents with disaster experience highlighted diverse support needs, encompassing health, emotional well-being, and practical assistance. Inclusive disaster risk reduction should involve individuals with disability in assessing their capabilities and support requirements. This study underscores the necessity of tailored emergency preparedness measures to safeguard the well-being of this demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loneliness is a significant public health concern due to its detrimental impact on health and wellbeing. Despite people with disability reporting higher levels of loneliness than the general population, there has been little research into how this is affecting their health and wellbeing. In light of this, the aim of our study was to scope both the existing evidence about the health and wellbeing outcomes associated with loneliness for people with disability, as well as the conceptual frameworks and measures utilised in this field of research. Methods: To conduct this scoping review, we followed the methodology outlined by JBI and searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Informit, Embase, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed, English-language articles published between 1 January 2000 and 8 February 2023. Two independent reviewers completed screening, full-text review and data extraction, with consensus sought at each stage. Data were analysed using content analysis and presented both numerically and narratively. Results: Out of the initial 1602 publications identified in the scoping review, only nine were included after duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, and full-text review. This limited number of studies, with the earliest study one published in 2015, represents a key finding. Eight of the nine studies were quantitative, and all were conducted in high income countries. Most of these studies utilised a version of the University of Los Angles Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness and addressed specific impairment groups. Notably, most of the studies identified associations between loneliness and health and wellbeing outcomes for people with disability. Conclusions: This scoping review highlights the current scarcity of studies examining the effect that loneliness has on the health and wellbeing outcomes of people with disability. As most of the reviewed studies relied on loneliness measures designed for individuals without disability, they potentially overlook the unique life experiences of people with disability. Given that loneliness is an international public health concern, it is imperative that people with disability are not left behind or overlooked in efforts to address the impact of loneliness on health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a paucity of robust nationally representative data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on the prevalence and risk factors associated with exposure of women with/without disability to either discrimination or violence. We undertook secondary analysis of data collected in Round 6 of UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) involving nationally representative data from 29 countries with a total sample size of 320,426 women aged 18 to 49 years. We estimated: (1) prevalence rates for exposure to discrimination and violence among women with/without disabilities in the previous year in a range of LMICs; (2) the relative risk of exposure when adjusted for demographic and contextual characteristics; (3) the relative risk of exposure associated with specific functional difficulties associated with disabilities; and (4) the association between country-level estimates and national wealth and human development potential. Our results indicated that women with disabilities were approximately twice as likely as women without disabilities to be exposed to violence and discrimination in the past year, and approximately one-third more likely to feel unsafe in either their home or local neighbourhood and to be at greater risk of domestic violence. Risk of exposure was associated with national characteristics (national wealth, human development potential) and within country factors, especially relative household wealth and level of education. These results must be of concern on two counts. First, they attest to the ongoing violation of the human rights of women with disabilities. Second, they point to increased exposure among women with disabilities to several well-documented social determinants of poorer health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social interventions are essential in supporting the health and well-being of people with disability, but there is a critical need to prioritise resources for those that provide the best value for money. Economic evaluation is a widely used tool to assist priority setting when resources are scarce. However, the scope and consistency of economic evaluation evidence for disability social services are unclear, making it hard to compare across interventions to guide funding decisions. This systematic review aims to summarise the current evidence in the economic evaluation of social services for people with disability and to critically compare the methodologies used in conducting the economic evaluations with a focus on the outcomes and costs. We searched seven databases for relevant studies published from January 2005 to October 2021. Data were extracted on study characteristics such as costs, outcomes, perspectives, time horizons and intervention types. Overall, economic evaluation evidence of social services for people with disability was scarce. Twenty-four economic evaluations were included, with the majority conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis (n = 16). Most interventions focused on employment (n = 10), followed by community support and independent living (n = 6). Around 40% of the studies addressed people with mental illnesses (n = 10). The evidence was mixed on whether the interventions were cost-effective but the methods used were highly variable, which made comparisons across studies very difficult. More economic evidence on the value of interventions is needed as well as a more standardised and transparent approach for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concern has been expressed about the extent to which people with disabilities may be particularly vulnerable to negative impacts of the 2020 COVID‐19 pandemic. However, to date little published research has attempted to characterise or quantify the risks faced by people with/without disabilities in relation to COVID‐19. We sought to compare the impact of the early stages of the COVID‐19 pandemic and associated government responses among working age adults with and without disabilities in the UK on; COVID‐19 outcomes, health and wellbeing, employment and financial security, health behaviours, and conflict and trust. We undertook secondary analysis of data collected in four UK longitudinal surveys; the Millennium Cohort Study, Next Steps, the British Cohort Study and the National Child Development Study. Combining analyses across surveys with random effects meta‐analysis, there was evidence that people with disabilities were significantly more likely to report having had COVID‐19 and had significantly increased levels of stress, less exercise, poorer sleep patterns, more conflict with their partner and others in their local area, and to have less trust in the government. While most outcomes did not differ significantly between participants with and without disability, the findings suggest that in the early days of COVID‐19 a detrimental impact emerges for those with disabilities which is more pronounced among older people with disabilities. Future research is needed to determine the longer‐term impact of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall, there was broad support for capturing patient disability information on the VPR form as long as this led to improved access to quality primary care and better health outcomes for people with disability. VPR disability data in clinical information systems would provide opportunities for local quality improvement initiatives to identify gaps and develop action plans for improving quality of care for people with disability. [Extracted from the article]

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have a greater impact on people with disabilities than non-disabled people. Our aim was to compare the short-term impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and first lockdown on the employment and financial security of working age adults with and without disabilities in the UK. Methods Secondary analysis of data collected in Wave 9 and the special April, May and June COVID-19 monthly surveys of 'Understanding Society', the UK's main annual household panel study. Results During the first 3 months of the introduction of the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, respondents with disability were more likely than their peers to be working reduced hours and experience higher levels of financial stress. These differences were attenuated, but not eliminated, when estimates were adjusted to take account of pre-lockdown financial status. Conclusions Working age adults with disability were particularly disadvantaged by the financial impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has stated the need for a disability-inclusive COVID-19 government response. The results of our analysis suggest that these pleas have either not been heeded, or if measures have been implemented, they have so far been ineffectual in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Research has suggested that exposure to loneliness can have a powerful detrimental impact on health, including mental health. Addressing socially determined health inequity requires understanding of the situation of marginalized or vulnerable groups. People with disability are increasingly being recognized as one such group. Little population-based research has addressed the association between loneliness and health among working age adults with and without disability. Methods Secondary analysis of data collected in waves 8 and 9 of Understanding Society , the UK's main annual household panel study. Results Rates of exposure to substantial loneliness were 25.4% (95%CI 23.5–27.3%) among adults with persistent disability (disability at W8 and W9), 15.4% (13.3–17.5%) among adults with disability onset (disability at W9 only), 12.3% (10.1–14.5%) among adults with disability offset (disability at W8 only), and 6.9% (6.5–7.3%) among adults with no disability. Exposure to loneliness was positively associated with the incidence (GHQ-12) and prevalence (SF-12 Mental) of mental health problems, but not the prevalence of physical health problems (SF-12 Physical). Disability status appeared to moderate the association between loneliness and health, with the difference between the persistent disability and no disability group increasing with exposure to greater levels of loneliness. Conclusion Loneliness may be an important determinant of the poorer mental health of working age adults with disability in the UK. Exposure rates are significantly higher than among the non-disabled population. The strength of association between exposure to loneliness and poorer mental health is greater for people with persistent disability than people with no disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Exposure to discrimination can have a negative impact on health. There is little robust evidence on the prevalence of exposure of people with disabilities to discrimination, the sources and nature of discrimination they face, and the personal and contextual factors associated with increased risk of exposure. Methods Secondary analysis of de-identified cross-sectional data from the three waves of the UK's 'Life Opportunities Survey'. Results In the UK (i) adults with disabilities were over three times more likely than their peers to be exposed to discrimination, (ii) the two most common sources of discrimination were strangers in the street and health staff and (iii) discrimination was more likely to be reported by participants who were younger, more highly educated, who were unemployed or economically inactive, who reported financial stress or material hardship and who had impairments associated with hearing, memory/speaking, dexterity, behavioural/mental health, intellectual/learning difficulties and breathing. Conclusions Discrimination faced by people with disabilities is an under-recognised public health problem that is likely to contribute to disability-based health inequities. Public health policy, research and practice needs to concentrate efforts on developing programs that reduce discrimination experienced by people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing recognition of the value of coproduction and inclusion of people with disability in research, and a growing literature on inclusive methods, particularly involving people with intellectual disability. This article critically examines the ways leadership by, and collaboration and consultation with, people with disability informed the development of a framework to monitor Australia's progress on reducing inequalities in the social determinants of health and wellbeing for people with disability. It focuses especially on the contribution of an expert panel of advice comprising people who live with disability. Input from the expert panel resulted in changes to the language, shape, and detail of the framework and highlighted the complexity easily hidden when people's lives and experiences are measured and quantified. The article provides a practical illustration of the value of lived expertise and challenges universities and researchers to work harder to ensure people with disability shape the research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities and their representative organisations are recognised by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction as key contributing stakeholders in disaster resilience-building at the community level. What might be the role and contribution of disabled people's organisations (DPOs) in realising the right of people with disabilities to be protected in disaster situations? This article reports findings from a research project utilising a multiple case-study research design to examine the implementation of three disability-inclusive disaster preparedness projects led by DPOs in Indonesia. Findings show that the DPOs successfully led disaster preparedness initiatives within their local communities and were instrumental in contributing to collective community-based disaster risk reduction efforts, despite structural barriers that constrained their efforts. The findings suggest pathways to more effectively advance disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction through DPO-led initiatives; giving due consideration to ensuring adequate DPO resources and capacities; and engagement with mainstream stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine geographic variation in labour force participation rate (LFPR) of working‐age people with disability in Australia and associated factors. This study uses Australian Census 2016 data at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) and engages multiple linear regression to explore the relationship between the dependent variable,= LFPR of people with disability, and diverse independent variables that reflect collective characteristics of people with disability and their non‐disabled peers within SA2. While LFPRs for people with disability varied greatly by SA2, people with disability had considerably lower LFPR than their non‐disabled peers in all areas. The LFPRs tended to be higher in SA2s with higher percentages of people with disability who had completed year 12 or gained post‐school education, with higher household income, and where a higher proportion of people with disability mainly spoke English at home. These results indicate that where people live matters. Geographic variation in LFPR for people with disability is associated with geographic variation in their educational attainment and other social and community characteristics of the areas in which they live. This study contributes towards gaining a more sophisticated and nuanced understanding of the factors that influence LFPR of people with disability in relation to their local community environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on discussion involve understanding of discrimination needs to take account of both systemic or institutional discrimination as well as overt acts of interpersonal discrimination experienced by people with disabilities. Topic include an agreement with Dr Kirkham that in order to help advance the human rights of people with disability a research focus on ‘discrimination and injustice is essential '.

Background: Increasing attention is being given to political agenda setting for the social determinants of health. While designing policies that can improve the social determinants of health is critical, so too is ensuring these policies are appropriately administered and implemented. Many policies have the potential to entrench or even expand inequities during implementation. At present little attention has been given to this in the social determinants of health literature. There is an international trend in the personalisation of funding for care services, from the National Health Service in the England to the Brukerstyrt Personlig Assistanse in Norway. Part of this trend is the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS has the potential to secure gains in health for hundreds of thousands of Australians living with a disability. However, policies are only as good as their implementation. Methods: As part of a longitudinal study on the implementation of the Australian NDIS, we conducted a systematic document search of policy documents pertaining to the Scheme on the websites of government departments with auspice over the design and implementation of the scheme with the aim of examining issues of equity. Results and discussion: Scheme architects have argued that the NDIS has the potential to replace a piecemeal and fragmented set of state-determined services with an empowering model of user choice and control. However, without careful attention to both existing inequities and, diversity and difference across populations (e.g. different disability types and different localities), market based approaches such as the NDIS have the serious potential to entrench or even widen inequities. Conclusions: The research concluded that 'personalisation' approaches can widen inequities and inequalities unless careful consideration is given at both policy design and implementation stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundParenting by people with intellectual disability is attracting increasing attention, and policymakers and service providers require empirical evidence to develop sound policy and service responses. The purpose of the study was to identify prevalence and demographic data on parents with ID in Australia compared with parents with other disabilities and the population of parents without disability. MethodThe Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, 2009, was identified as the most suitable survey, and design-weighted analysis was performed. ResultsAn estimated 0.41% of Australian parents had intellectual disability, equating to 17,000 parents with ID. Parents with ID were more likely to have only 1 child and to reside outside a capital city compared with parents without disability. ConclusionsThese findings provide benchmark data for monitoring, over time, the prevalence of parents with ID and point to policy and service responses for parents with only 1 child and for those in outer urban, regional, and rural areas of Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the situation of health-related rehabilitation and traditional health practices in the Pacific Islands. Rehabilitation is a health strategy for improving the lives of people with disabilities through improving function and addressing environmental barriers. The World Report on Disability states that current healthrelated rehabilitation services are deeply inadequate for meeting need. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on governments to increase and strengthen rehabilitation systems with the WHO Global Disability Action Plan 2014-2020. At the same time WHO have a long history of promoting the value of traditional health systems and their contribution to health and well-being. WHO support and encourage governments to strengthen quality of traditional health practises and integrate them in to their health systems. Yet the possibility of health-related rehabilitation and traditional health practices integrating and coordinating care is largely unexplored. Research investigating this knowledge gap is underway in the Solomon Islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper describes a three-year research project leading to the development of the CBR Monitoring Manual and Menu (MM&M). The MM&M is a practical toolkit that meets the needs of CBR managers and stakeholders, and is consistent with the philosophy of CBR and communitybased disability-inclusive development. It is designed to produce meaningful and locally useful information and data, based on international data standards where possible, to enable aggregation at regional, national and international levels. Methods: Five complementary workstreams of research were carried out from 2011 to 2014: 1) literature review and analysis; 2) participatory action research with CBR stakeholders; 3) analysis and refinement of validity of concepts and structures; 4) consultation and review; and 5) synthesis of results. This article documents the method and key results of each of the five workstreams, and the lessons learned along the way. Results: The MM&M is now freely available on-line at thttp://sydney.edu. au/health-sciences/cdrp/projects/cbr-monitoring.shtml. Collaboration among members of the development team continues, chiefly via an on-line group to which new members have been welcomed. Conclusion and Implications: At the time of writing, the MM&M is the only international monitoring product, known to the authors, that consciously sets out to reflect both a 'bottom- up' and 'top-down' perspective of monitoring information and data.To achieve this for a complex programme such as CBR, and to align with its principles, it was essential to use a multi-component and multi-stage strategy for tool development, involving a diverse multidisciplinary team including collaboration with CBR stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background News media frames public perceptions. As such, news media becomes a useful source of analysis to understand the presence (or otherwise) of people with disabilities, particularly intellectual disabilities, within parenting discourses in Australia. Method Using Critical Discourse Analysis, this article examines major Australian newspapers over the period from January 2004 to December 2008, critiquing the construction of parenting and disability. A small number of articles are examined in close depth for tone, polarity syntactic and paradigmatic choice, deconstructing the underlying discourses that shape the article and thereby popular perceptions of parenting and disability. Discussion Discourses of care and child protection are emphasized in news articles about parenting, creating perceptions that negate the role of people with disabilities as parents. Such perceptions result in a systematic symbolic castration of people with intellectual disabilities from the role of parent in Australian society. Conclusion By providing a framework for understanding the public perceptions of parents with disabilities (particularly intellectual disabilities), this paper demonstrates that changes are necessary in Australian media reporting on parents with disabilities to bring such reporting more closely in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Carol Thomas, individuals with impairment are subjected to disablism. They are disadvantaged in material areas of life and also in the non-material domain of psycho-emotional well-being, by the impact of negative ideas, images and stereotypes about impairment and disability. Families with children with impairment have also been described as disadvantaged. Whether this disadvantage is the result of disablism is unknown. This study explored how disadvantage affects families with a child with impairment using Thomas' iteration of the social model of disability. Twelve mothers were interviewed to understand their everyday routines and the influence of impairment in their family life. Family members did encounter prejudice associated with impairment, however, the mothers were able to ‘stand aside’ from this such that their psycho-emotional well-being was not harmed as Thomas describes for individuals with impairment. These families are nevertheless disadvantaged in that they do not enter social interactions on an equal footing with others. This paper describes the ways in which the mothers resisted prejudice. It also suggests that Thomas' model may benefit from considering the harms of disablism from this perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in Australia, acts as a philosophical and moral statement and framework guiding integrated and strategic policy across the nation. Broad policy agreement has been reached by governments, and both the government and non-government sectors are developing strategies for implementation or evaluation. There is however a need for a more integrated approach to disability policy and information, reflecting all three components of the Italian project: legislation and a high level philosophical framework and policy guide; a technical framework that can underpin specific policies and programs aiming to achieve the major goals; and , a language and set of tools, relating to both the above, that provide infrastructure for assessment methods and information systems. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is the ideal tool to support the latter two components, consistent with the UN Convention. While the ICF has been used as the basis for national data standards, in population surveys and in the national data collection on disability support services, there is considerable scope for greater use of it, including using all domains of the Activities and Participation and the Environmental Factors component for policy, information and service provision, to advance a disability-inclusive society. Information available from the income support system and from generic services could be enhanced by reference to the ICF components. It would be of significant national value in Australia, especially as a 'continuum of care' is desired, if consistency of concepts and information were expanded across health and social welfare sectors. It would then be possible to obtain consistent data from health, aged care, disability and community services systems about key aspects of health and functioning, building a consolidated picture of access and experience across these sectors. Without attention to all three components of the Italian project and continuing effort to meet the challenges identified in this paper, it will not be possible to determine whether the goals of Australia's National Disability Agreement or the ambitions of the Convention are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]