Dear all,

As we take our first steps in 2019, it is important to reflect on and celebrate the milestones of 2018:

• Developing and awarding the first ever Inclusive Health Innovation Grants;
• Launching of the Center for Inclusive Health
• Developing key resources like the Inclusive Health Principles and Strategies for organizations working to make their policies and practices inclusive
• Growing the movement at the Inclusive Health Summit in Seattle, headlined by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams
• Including intellectual disability in the Health Equity dialogue at the APHA Annual Conference; and
• Reaching new inclusive health partners and identifying new models of inclusion.

You are our champions, current and future, and our biggest resource. As we look forward to an exciting 2019 with more partners and allies, models of inclusion, and continued growth of our inclusive health movement, we thank YOU for all your efforts and your support in working toward our collective vision of a world where everyone has access to quality health services and programs, regardless of their ability.

Best wishes for a productive and inclusive 2019!

Sincerely,
Nadja Ruzica, Director of Inclusive Health

Special Olympics at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting

Special Olympics Health Messengers Parker Thornton, Nell Coonen-Korte, and Jason Gieschen lead a panel about their health journeys and intentional inclusion at the 2018 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in San Diego. Stay tuned for a video to watch the highlights of the panel and learn more about how to intentionally include people with intellectual disabilities!

Updates to the Center for Inclusive Health

The Center for Inclusive Health has new resources!

• Vanderbilt University’s, Toolkit for Primary Care Providers: Health Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities explains how to equitably serve patients and clients with intellectual disabilities. 
• The Center for Inclusive Health also has a News section. Visit the Center today to read the latest stories about inclusive health wins around the country.
• The National Fitness Foundation and Health Resources in Action recently completed their joint inclusive health innovation grant, which focused on improving the engagement of students with ID in the fitness education process. Take a look at the resources here.

Inclusive Health meeting in NYC
Special Olympics New York, in partnership with the Golisano Foundation and Henry Schein held an inclusive health strategy meeting in New York City in December. Health practitioners, university staff, and community and policy partners came together define priorities and goals needed to achieve greater health equity for people with intellectual disabilities. For more information, contact Robyn Armando at rarmando@nyso.org.

Cities for Inclusion Summit
Special Olympics Pennsylvania held an inclusion summit in Philadelphia that brought together more than 110 leaders from city government, provider organizations, academia, funders, corporations and other partners. For more information, contact Chelsea Drob at cdrob@specialolympicspa.org.