Race and health disparities in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in the United States.

Whitehouse et al. (2014) asked adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities about their health care use. They compared answers from Hispanic, Black, and other minority adults to answers from White adults.

The team used a national phone survey. They looked at who had a usual doctor, who got preventive care, and who skipped needed visits.

Hispanic adults with IDD had the worst access. They were less likely to have a regular doctor or a check-up than White adults with IDD.

Black and other minority groups also showed gaps, but the Hispanic disadvantage was largest.

Magaña et al. (2016) repeated the survey two years later and found the same pattern. Minority adults with IDD still had worse health status than White adults with IDD. Their study added that these adults also did worse than nondisabled adults of the same race.

Cooper et al. (2011) looked at neighborhood poverty instead of race. They found that living in a poor area cut specialist visits for adults with ID in the UK. Whitehouse et al. (2014) shows race can create a similar barrier in the U.S.

Hutchins et al. (2020) jumped ahead to COVID-19. Three-quarters of families lost at least one therapy or medical service. The new shock layered on top of the old race gap that Whitehouse et al. (2014) mapped.

If you serve adults with IDD, check each client’s support system, not just their diagnosis. Hispanic and other minority clients may lack a regular doctor or miss screenings. Build a short list of local primary-care offices that accept both the client’s insurance and language needs. Offer to schedule the first appointment during your session, and ask for a bilingual provider when possible. One extra phone call now can prevent a crisis visit later.