The meetings of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities took place on Thursday and Friday. The meetings were convened in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey Building, in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Rick Rader, the director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center at Orange Grove, was invited to present the evidence and justification for having people with intellectual disabilities declared and designated as a "medically underserved population."
"It has long been reported in countless studies that individuals with intellectual disabilities experience shameful health disparities compared to the general public," said Dr. Rader. "Despite the data, the federal government has never designated them as 'medically underserved.' This designation will provide benefits in access, research, clinical care, professional training, medical school loan forgiveness and related benefits aimed at improving the healthcare status of this vulnerable population."
The PCPID was established in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to ensure the right of a “decent, dignified place in society” for people with intellectual disabilities. Since that time, PCPID has served as a federal advisory committee to the President and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on matters relating to persons with intellectual disabilities.
The PCPID promotes policies and initiatives that support independence and lifelong inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in their respective communities. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities provides oversight and support for PCPID.