Contact
Dr. Heather Williamson
Health equity for people with disabilities
People with intellectual and /or developmental disabilities experience health inequities in many areas — with Medicaid-funded long-term care services, healthcare access, housing, employment, access to technology, and in-home support for their caregivers. The Center for Health Equity Research is committed to exploring research that addresses the health equity of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities that will improve their lives and the lives of their relevant caregivers.
Through collaboration with community partners and other researchers, we are working to make sure people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities are included in a social network and have a support system that will help them to thrive in their community.
People with disabilities
Links to CHER publications regarding people with disabilities Accordion Closed
- Digital Citizenship: Technology Access and Use for Youth With and Without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Kim W. Fisher, Heather J. Williamson, Nichole Guerra, Scott Kupferman, Inclusion, 9, (4), 2021.
- Providing Equitable Access to Health Care for Individuals with Disabilities: An Important Challenge for Medical Education Michele S. Lee, Monica L. Diaz, Tamsen L. Bassford, Julie S. Armin, and Heather J. Williamson, HPHR, 44, 2022.
- A Scoping Review of Barriers and Facilitators to Pap Testing in Women with Disabilities and Serious Mental Illnesses: Thirty Years After the Americans with Disabilities Act Michele S. Lee, Jillian R. Peart, Julie S. Armin, Heather J. Williamson, Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 14 (3), 2021.
- Are Researchers Addressing Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Among People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in the U.S.? A Scoping Review Grace Samtani, Tamsen L. Bassford, Heather J. Williamson, Julie S. Armin, Intellect Dev Disabil (2021) 59 (2): 141–154. 2021
- Belonging and inclusion during the aging process for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (book chapter) Lynne Tomasa and Heather J Williamson
- #ADA25 Campaign: Using Social Media to Promote Participation, Social Inclusion, and Civic Engagement of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Heather J. Williamson, Kim W. Fisher, Devanshi Madhavni, Lori Talarico, Inclusion, 7 (1), pp. 24-40, 2019
- Implementation of Medicaid Managed Long-Term Services and Supports for Adults with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities in Kansas Heather J Williamson, Elizabeth A Perkins, Bruce L. Levin, Julie A. Baldwin, Amie Lulinksi, Mary I. Armstrong, Oliver T. Massey, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 55(2), pp. 84-96, 2017
- Health Care Access for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review Heather J. Williamson, Graciela M. Contreras, Erica S. Rodriguez, Jennifer M. Smith, Elizabeth A. Perkins, OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 37 (4), pp. 227-236, 2017
- Barriers in access to healthcare for women with disabilities: a systematic review in qualitative studies Behzad Karami Matin, Heather J. Williamson, Ali Kazemi Karyani, Satar Rezaei, Moslem Soofi & Shahin Soltani, BMC Women’s Health 21, (44), 2021
Family caregivers
Links to CHER publications regarding family caregivers Accordion Closed
- Family Caregivers of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Experiences with Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Services and Supports in the United States Heather J. Williamson, Elizabeth A. Perkins, Annie Acosta, Maureen Fitzgerald, Jui Agrawal, Oliver T. Massey, Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 13 (4), pp. 287-296, 2016.
- Family Caregivers as Needed Partners: Recognizing Their Role in Medicaid Managed Long‐Term Services and Supports Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 15 (3), pp. 214-225, 2018
Community-engaged research
Links to CHER community-engaged research with people with disabilities Accordion Closed
- Adapting Participatory Action Research to Include Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities during the COVID-19 Global Pandemic Kaitlyn P. Ahlers, Kara B. Ayers, Suzannah Iadarola, Rosemary B. Hughes, Hyon Soo Lee, Heather J. Williamson, Developmental Disabilities Network Journal: 1 (2) Article 5, 2021
- Community-University Partnerships for Research and Practice: Application of an Interactive and Contextual Model of Collaboration Heather J. Williamson, Belinda-Rose Young, Nichole Murray, Donna L. Burton, Bruce Lubotsky Levin, Oliver Tom Massey, and Julie A. Baldwin, Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 20 (2), pp. 55-84, 2016, ISSN: 1534-6104
- Community-Engaged Research to Address Health Disparities of Indigenous Women With Disabilities Heather J. Williamson, Julie S. Armin, Ellen Stakely, Bonny Nasimi, Darold H. Joseph, Jon Meyers, Julie A. Baldwin, Annals of INternational Occupational Therapy, 4 (3)
- Supporting New Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone, Anna L. Schwartz, Lisa J. Hardy, Hendrik D. De Heer, Heather J. Williamson, Dorothy J. Dunn, Kellen Polingyumptewa, Carmenlita Chief, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (1), pp. 44, 2019
In the news Accordion Closed
Williamson awarded two $50,000 grants through the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (April 20, 2021)
Williamson named to AAIDD board (Feb 14, 2020)
AOTF features Williamson in newsletter (November 22, 2019)
CHER researchers use photos to explore wellness among Native Americans with disabilities