NEW! International Disability Standards:

Disability Standards and the Social Determinants of Health
as they relate to Workers Disabled by Occupation

NEW INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY STANDARDS: New International Disability Standard a 'Paradigm Shift' - Going before the European Union's Parliament Sept 16 2008, the MAHDE recommendations will fundamentally change the concept of disability from ICDH(1980) to the ICF(2001). MAHDE (Measuring Health and Disability in Europe) has brought together international institutions and researchers to demonstrate the application of the ICF model in the collection of health and disability data. ICF, the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, is a cross-cutting, universal framework and international standard that constitutes a paradigm shift in our understanding of disability. It underscores the need to integrate individual functioning with the complete physical and social environment in order to capture the full lived experience of disability that links health and social policy to promote social integration and increase participation, thereby enhancing opportunities for persons with disabilities. They Identify barriers to recovery and have shown that data currently being collected, nationally and internationally, embody conceptual confusions, inconsistencies and ambiguities about disability and the relationship between health conditions, impairments and environmental factors. MHADIE (Measuring Health and Disability in Europe) - website MHADIE policy recommendations 2008 (PDF) ICF - The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health ICF Primer PRESS RELEASE - MHADIE - A new framework for supporting health and disability policy in Europe - Final EU Project's results and Policy Recommendations presented at European Parliament on 16th September 2008 . . . This project's results are of great interest to those concerned with health and disability issues, as well as the larger scientific community. . . "For the first time health and disability issues have been approached not merely from a narrow clinical perspective but from one in which environmental, psychological and quality of life aspects of the total lived experience have been also taken into account. MHADIE researchers developed a framework to influence and support new European policy guidelines on health and disability . . . and used ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) as a cross-cutting universal framework and international standard. The ICF provides a new framework for conceptualizing health and disability. An important aim of the MHADIE project was a workable and generic definition of disability, one which reflects the view of MHADIE researchers that disability is a universal, human condition, not the distinguishing mark of a separate, minority group. . . "Understanding how to respond to the needs of people with disabilities means understanding how to influence social and economic policies as well as designing specific tools to combat discrimination and promote social integration and participation, thus enhancing opportunities."

DARRELL POWELL: on the Social Determinants of Health as it relates to Workers Disabled by Occupation WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION and the SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH: Inequities Killing People on "grand scale" - WHO Report - "Social justice is a matter of life and death. . . Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale. . . All people need social protection across the lifecourse, as young children, in working life, and in old age. People also need protection in case of specific shocks, such as illness, disability, and loss of income or work." from World Health Organization Commission on the Social Determinants of Health - Report of Aug 28 2008 - "Closing the Gap in a Generation: Health Equity through Action on the Social Determinants of Health. World Health Organization (WHO) - The Social Determinants of Health - THE SOLID FACTS (2nd edition)"Poverty, relative deprivation and social exclusion have a major impact on health and premature death, and the chances of living in poverty are loaded heavily against some social groups . . . The unemployed, many ethnic minority groups, guest workers, disabled people, refugees and homeless people are at particular risk."From: World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) - The Social Determinants of Health - THE SOLID FACTS (2nd edition) (WCB AS A NEGATIVE SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH) "Poverty, relative deprivation and social exclusion have a major impact on health and premature death, and the chances of living in poverty are loaded heavily against some social groups . . . The unemployed, many ethnic minority groups, guest workers, disabled people, refugees and homeless people are at particular risk."From: World Health Organization (WHO) WHO COMMISSION ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH - A Conceptual Framework for Action on the Social Determinants of Health "Mandatory Reading" says Darrell Powell, for anyone interested in disabled workers issues - in preparation for the fall Senate Committee on the Social Determinants of Health: - "Policymaking on social determinants of health equity should work towards the highest form of participation as authentic empowerment of civil society and affected communities. . . . The essence of empowerment is the increased ability of oppressed and marginalized communities to control the political and economic processes that affect their wellbeing . . . The empowerment of disadvantaged communities is intertwined with state responsibility.The state bears responsibility for creating spaces and conditions of participation that can enable vulnerable and marginalized communities to achieve increased control over the material, social and political determinants of their own wellbeing. . . " WHO Interim Statement on Health Equity - from the World Health Organization Commission on the Social Determinants of Health: WHO COMMISSION ON SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH - Achieving Health Equity: from root causes to fair outcomes - Interim Statement- " . . . The development of society, rich or poor, can be judged by the quality of its population’s health, how fairly health is distributed across the social spectrum, and the degree of protection provided from disadvantage as a result of ill-health . . . The unequal distribution of resources impacts on people’s freedom to lead lives they have reason to value. . . This in turn has a powerful impact on health and its distribution in society. The Commission takes issue with the unequal distribution of social conditions when health suffers as a consequence. . . Not all health inequalities are unjust or inequitable. If good health were simply unattainable, this would be unfortunate but not unjust. Where inequalities in health are avoidable, yet are not avoided, they are inequitable. . . The injustice that the Commission seeks to redress comes from failure to achieve levels of health that, but for lack of action, should be attainable. . . .The right to the highest attainable level of health is enshrined in the Constitution of the World Health Organization and numerous international treaties (UN, 2000a). This right obliges governments and others to act – to take steps . . . Health inequities reflect the unequal distribution of power, prestige and resources among groups in society. . . Stratification creates advantage and disadvantage across social groups. Progressive disadvantage can lead to marginalization and disproportionate vulnerability among those excluded from societal benefits." Economic Arguments for Action on the Social Determinants of Health by David Hay. Policy-makers the world over have argued that good social policy is the route to achieving economic growth and prosperity. CPRN has been studying that relationship for years - concluding that a strong health care system, a skilled workforce and resilient families bring with them comparative advantage . . . that investment in the social realm brings long term cost savings. Dec 2006 From: Canadian Policy Research Networks