Health Inequalities and People with Intellectual Disabilities

People with intellectual disabilities die at a younger age and have poorer health than their non-disabled peers. This is largely avoidable and is unjust. This book uses concepts from contemporary public health to provide a comprehensive evidence-based overview of: the nature and extent of the health inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities; why these inequalities occur and persist; and what can and needs to be done to address these inequalities. The authors have a wealth of firsthand experience gained from years of working at the interface between disability research and public health. This experience is collected and shared in this volume, which will be an invaluable resource for practitioners, advocates, policymakers and researchers concerned with health and social care and the wellbeing of disabled people.

Preface; 1. People with intellectual disabilities; 2. Health and health inequalities; 3. The health of people with intellectual disabilities; 4. Applying a health inequalities perspective; 5. Addressing the health inequalities faced by people with intellectual disabilities; 6. Conclusions; References; Index.

Eric Emerson is Professor of Disability Population Health, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia and Professor of Disability and Health Research, Centre for Disability Research, Lancaster University, UK.
Chris Hatton is Professor of Psychology, Health and Social Care, Centre for Disability Research, Lancaster University, UK and Co-director of Improving Health and Lives, a specialist intellectual disability public health observatory that is part of Public Health England.