ABSTRACT
Health disparities and inequities have received noteworthy national attention during the past decade as major public health concerns (Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2012; Meyer et al., 2013). Although health disparity and health inequity have been used interchangeably, these terms represent distinct aspects on attaining, or failing to attain, healthy quality of life (QoL). Health disparities represent systematic and avoidable subsets of health differences that adversely affect segments of the overall American population who have faced environmental, social, or economic disadvantages (Braveman, 2014; Braveman et al., 2011; Woolf & Braveman, 2011). In contrast, health equity refers to the actions taken to reduce or eliminate health disparities (Braveman, 2014; Braveman et al., 2011). Most attention given to health disparities involves minoritized 1 groups, particularly people of color and low-income groups; less attention has been given to other historically marginalized and disenfranchised groups such as people with disabilities (Krahn, Walker, & Correa-de-Araujo, 2015). This has sparked the interest of advocacy groups who articulate the importance of addressing the health and wellness of people with disabilities, including the health disparities they experience (Drum, Krahn, Culley, & Hammond, 2005; Iezzoni, 2011; Krahn et al., 2015).
