Accessibility and Responsiveness Review Tool: community agency capacity to respond to survivors with disabilities.

For persons with disabilities who have experienced trauma in the forms of abuse and violence, options for accessible and trauma-informed services are often limited. Using a self-assessment and planning process, disability service providers and victim/survivor service providers are able to strategize ways of addressing the needs of survivors with disabilities. The Accessibility and Responsiveness Review Tool (Review Tool) incorporates the principles of universal design and trauma-informed practices into an agency-wide discussion tool leading to increases in knowledge, reduction in barriers, and overall improved programs for survivors with disabilities. Results of agencies that participated in the Review Tool process are presented.

Healthcare access and disparities in chronic medical conditions in urban populations.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and disparities in healthcare access and the factors associated with them in an urban population. METHODS: Eligible patients were consented and enrolled randomly from the inpatient internal medicine unit at Truman Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, a 250-bed hospital recognized for its broad range of acute and chronic diseases seen in its inpatient and outpatient care. They had one or more of the following chronic medical conditions (CMCs): congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, chest pain, or cirrhosis. One hundred patients were interviewed regarding challenges they have encountered as consumers and their understanding of CMCs. RESULTS: Interview results indicate patients' understanding of their CMC, the associated needs for self-management, and the potential health consequences are contributing factors leading to repeated visits to the emergency department. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that access to the following health-focused services has the potential to reduce the rate of emergency department visits and hospitalizations, morbidity, mortality, and the burden of cost. These services include adequate access to and utilization of primary care characterized by preventive care, early detection of acute illness, ongoing chronic disease management through easy access to primary providers, and adequate health literacy about CMC.

Effective inclusion practices for neurodiverse children and adolescents in informal STEM learning: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Informal learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can enhance STEM learning that occurs in formal educational settings and curricula as well as generate enthusiasm for considering STEM careers. The aim of this systematic review is to focus on the experiences of neurodiverse students in informal STEM learning. Neurodiversity is a subgroup of neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other neurological conditions. The neurodiversity movement regards these conditions as natural forms of human variation, as opposed to dysfunction, and recognizes that neurodiverse individuals possess many strengths relevant to STEM fields. METHODS: The authors will systematically search electronic databases for relevant research and evaluation articles addressing informal STEM learning for K-12 children and youth with neurodiverse conditions. Seven databases and content-relevant websites (e.g., informalscience.org) will be searched using a predetermined search strategy and retrieved articles will be screened by two members of the research team. Data synthesis will include meta-synthesis techniques, depending on the designs of the studies. DISCUSSION: The synthesis of the findings resulting from various research and evaluation designs, across the K-12 age span, and across various informal STEM learning contexts, will lead to depth and breadth of understanding of ways to improve informal STEM learning programs for neurodiverse children and youth. The identification of informal STEM learning program components and contexts shown to yield positive results will provide specific recommendations for improving inclusiveness, accessibility, and STEM learning for neurodiverse children and youth. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The current study has been registered in PROSPERO. REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021278618.