Dissemination and Technical Assistance

Current Projects

Strategic Dissemination Project

Principal Investigators: Gloria Krahn, PhD, MPH & Charles Drum, JD, PhD

Current health intervention and dissemination methods are not reaching a significant portion of the disability population - those with lower incomes, from minority communities, with intellectual disabilities, or whose primary language is not English. The problem is well documented (Krisberg, 2004), but few effective strategies have been identified. The RRTC: Health & Wellness proposes to establish a series of annual strategic dissemination "think tank" summits to determine current best practices on how to more effectively disseminate to targeted communities. These would be conducted in collaboration with the American Association of Health and Disability.

policy think tanks

While the goal of disability and biomedical research is to improve the public’s health, there is no consistent system to translate research findings into public policy. Without widespread application through public policy, even the most important research will have little effect. It is not well understood why this disconnection between research and policy exists, though one researcher found that a “clash of cultures” was a significant factor (Brownson, 2006). It is imperative that researchers find ways to bridge the gap between research and policy by working directly with policymakers to translate their research for policy implementation.

Policymakers- September 2006

Seven experts in the fields of disability research, disability advocacy, and policymaking were invited to participate in a three-hour brainstorming session sponsored by the RRTC: Health & Wellness, held in conjunction with the RRTC on Aging with a Disability’s State of the Science Conference on September 7, 2006. The goal of the Think Tank was to generate recommendations to increase the likelihood that research findings are used in policy. In this dialogue, we hoped participants would speak candidly about the “culture clash” between researchers and policy makers and discuss strategies to overcome it.

Full Report (199 Kb)

Fact Sheet (34Kb)

Disability Advocacy Organizations- November 2007

Ten experts in the fields of disability research and disability advocacy were invited to engage in a dialogue on core issues in getting research findings to influence policy. The session was held during the Disability Section Chair's Forum at the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting in Washington, DC on November 4, 2007. The goal of the Think Tank was to generate suggestions on how disability researchers can partner with disability advocacy organizations to make sure that research findings can be used to advocate for policy change.

Full Report (128 Kb)

Fact Sheet (199 Kb)

Leaders with Disabilities- May 2008

An effective dissemination plan is based on knowing what to disseminate and how to disseminate findings to identified audiences. To identify effective methods for dissemination, we explored these questions with eight disability leaders who have close ties to their communities. The discussion was facilitated by two public health researchers, Gloria Krahn and Jana Peterson. The ensuing dialogue identified several key themes that can aid disability researchers and disseminators.

Full Report (427 Kb)

Fact Sheet (211 Kb)