Council of Councils Disability Health Research Working Group

More than one in four people in the United States has a disability. Like all Americans, disabled people may experience a range of medical conditions that affect their health and well-being. They may also face non-medical factors that lead to poorer health outcomes, such as inaccessible healthcare facilities and equipment. Disability health research seeks to understand and address the effects of medical conditions, non-medical factors, and their interaction on the health and well-being of people with disabilities.

NIH has a long history of supporting a broad range of research related to disability across its Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). Though many ICOs fund research on disability-related topics, efforts have typically been fragmented and focused on specific conditions or impairments rather than addressing disabled people as a population with unique health and health care needs. As a result, there has been growing recognition that NIH needs a more harmonized, coordinated, and person-centered approach to disability health research.

To address this, DPCPSI created the Disability Health Research Program and is leading the development of the NIH Strategic Plan for Disability Health Research FY26-FY30. By providing strategic coordination of disability health research activities, DPCPSI strives to efficiently and effectively advance research that promotes the health and well-being of people with disabilities.

The Disability Health Research Working Group (DHRWG) was established to provide expert input and recommendations to the Council on NIH disability health research activities coordinated by DPCPSI.

The DHRWG is charged with providing expert input and recommendations to the Council regarding the following:

1. Priorities for the most needed and promising areas of disability health research.
2. Opportunities for NIH-wide disability health research collaborations.
3. Strategies for increasing the number of investigators conducting disability health research.
4. Approaches for optimizing outreach to disability communities.

Co-Chairs

Russell N. Van Gelder, M.D., Ph.D.
Council of Councils Member (2025)
Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology
Director of UW Medicine Eye Institute
University of Washington

Adam M. Politis, M.S.
Senior Advisor for Disability Health Research
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director
National Institutes of Health

Executive Secretary

Heather Kimmel, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institutes of Health

Members