Submit a Manuscript to the Journal
International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
For a Special Issue on
Global disability health equity for people with diverse communication abilities: Evidence on the 40 actions from the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
Abstract deadline
Manuscript deadline
Special Issue Editor(s)
Distinguished Professor Sharynne McLeod,
Charles Sturt University, Australia
Dr Mélanie Gréaux,
World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Dr Helen L. Blake,
Charles Sturt University, Australia
A/Prof Kathy Cologon,
Charles Sturt University, Australia
Global disability health equity for people with diverse communication abilities: Evidence on the 40 actions from the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
The World Health Organization Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities states:
“An estimated 1.3 billion people – or 16% of global population worldwide – experience a significant disability today. Persons with disabilities have the right to the highest attainable standard of health as those without disabilities. However, the WHO Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities demonstrates that while some progress has been made in recent years, the world is still far from realizing this right for many persons with disabilities who continue to die earlier, have poorer health, and experience more limitations in everyday functioning than others. These poor health outcomes are due to unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities in all facets of life, including in the health system itself. Countries have an obligation under international human rights law to address the health inequities faced by persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the Sustainable Development Goals and global health priorities will not progress without ensuring health for all.”
The Report offers “40 targeted and comprehensive actions that countries can take to strengthen their health systems and reduce health inequities for persons with disabilities” (World Health Organization, 2022, p. 7)
This special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology will include 2,500-3,000 word commentary articles/essays. Each article will provide evidence of outcomes from (at least one of) the 40 actions for disability inclusion from the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities. Commentary articles must be supported by (a) new evidence and/or (b) evidence-based literature and will be peer-reviewed. Where data exists, commentary articles should provide evidence on how the action(s) have impacted the health outcomes of persons with disabilities and/or influenced one or more of the contributing factors of health inequities, including (a) structural factors, (b) social determinants, (c) risk factors, and/or (d) health system factors impacting health equity for people who experience communication and swallowing disability. More information about the 40 actions and contributing factors to health inequities for persons with disabilities is provided below.
Commentaries can be broad ranging, describing the relevance of the 40 actions for disability inclusion from the World Health Organization’s Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities to this field, or provide an overview of work with a specific intervention, country or population.
Expressions of interest are sought from authors across the world in a variety of disciplines. Commentaries are encouraged from (a) people who have lived experience of communication- and / or swallowing-related disability (e.g., co-constructed disability-inclusive research), and (b) people who live and work in Majority World countries (including low and middle-income countries and small island states).
The aim is to cover EVERY ONE OF THE 40 ACTIONS – so be creative.
EXAMPLES OF PREVIOUS SPECIAL ISSUES OF IJSLP CONTAINING COMMENTARY ARTICLES
- Communication is a human right: Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights | International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 2018, 20(1) https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/20/1
- Communication, swallowing and the Sustainable Development Goals | International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 2023, 25(1) https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/25/1
More information from the WHO Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities
“Health inequities experienced by persons with disabilities, and their contributing factors (p. 5)
- Structural factors: these relate to the very broad socioeconomic and political context, and the mechanisms that generate social stratification.
- Social determinants of health: these are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age.
- Risk factors: these are factors associated with noncommunicable diseases, including tobacco use, diet, alcohol consumption and amount of exercise, as well as environmental factors such as air pollution. The increased exposure to risk factors for persons with disabilities is due mainly to public health interventions that often are not inclusive.
Health system factors: these include barriers across the building blocks – in service delivery, the health and care workforce, health information systems, health systems, medical products and technologies, financing, and leadership.” (World Health Organization, 2022)
WHO’s 40 actions to achieve health equity for persons with disabilities https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240063624
“Political commitment, leadership, and governance
- Prioritize health equity for persons with disabilities
- Establish a human rights-based approach to health
- Assume a stewardship role for disability inclusion in the health sector
- Make international cooperation more effective by increasing funding to address health inequities for persons with disabilities
- Integrate disability inclusion in national health strategies, including preparedness and response plans for health emergencies
- Set actions that are specific to the health sector in national disability strategies or plans
- Establish a committee or a focal point the Ministry of Health for disability inclusion
- Integrate disability inclusion in the accountability mechanisms of the health sector
- Create disability networks, partnerships and alliances
- Ensure the existing mechanisms for social protection support the diverse health needs of persons with disabilities
Health financing
- Adopt progressive universalism as a core principle, and as a driver of health financing, putting persons with disabilities at the centre
- Consider health services for specific impairments and health conditions in packages of care for universal health coverage (UHC)
- Include into health-care budgets the costs of making facilities and services accessible
Engagement of stakeholders and private sector providers
- Engage persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in health sector processes
- Include gender-sensitive actions that target persons with disabilities in the strategies to empower people in their communities
- Engage the providers of informal support for persons with disabilities
- Engage persons with disabilities in research and including them in the health research workforce
- Request that providers in the private sector support the delivery of disability inclusive health services
Models of care
- Enable the provision of integrated people-centred care that is accessible and close to where people live
- Ensure universal access to assistive products
- Invest more finances in support persons, interpreters, and assistants to meet the health needs of persons with disabilities
- Consider the full spectrum of health services along a continuum of care for persons with disabilities
- Strengthen models of care for children with disabilities
- Promote deinstitutionalization
Health and care workforce
- Develop competencies for disability inclusion in the education of all health and care workers
- Provide training in disability inclusion for all health service providers
- Ensure the availability of a skilled health and care workforce
- Include persons with disabilities in the health and care workforce
- Train all non-medical staff working in the health sector on issues related to accessibility and respectful communication
- Guarantee free and informed consent for persons with disabilities
Physical infrastructure
- Incorporate a universal design-based approach to the development or refurbishment of health facilities and services
- Provide appropriate reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities
Digital technologies for health
- Adopt a systems-approach to the digital delivery of health services with health equity as a key principle
- Adopt international standards for accessibility of digital health technologies
Quality of care
- Integrate the specific needs and priorities of persons with disabilities into existing health safety protocols
- Ensure disability-inclusive feedback mechanisms for quality of health services
- Consider the specific needs of persons with disabilities in systems to monitor care pathway
Monitoring and evaluation
- Create a monitoring and evaluation plan for disability inclusion
- Integrate indicators for disability inclusion into the monitoring and evaluation frameworks of country health systems
Health policy and systems research
- Develop a national health policy and systems research agenda on disability” (World Health Organization, 2022, p. 7)
World Health Organization (2022). Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities
Submission Instructions
Expressions of interest due Monday 30 November, 2026 to ebp@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au and should include:
- Proposed title (the title should include the words “disability/disabilities” and “health equity”)
- The WHO Action(s) that will be the focus of the commentary (e.g., WHO Action 17 “Engage persons with disabilities in research and include them in the health research workforce”, WHO Action 23 “Strengthen models of care for children with disabilities”). Also include these numbers in Keywords.
- Contact author’s name, institution, country, email address and ORCiD number
- Additional author(s) names, institutions, countries, email addresses and ORCiD (if appropriate)
- Proposed type of manuscript: commentary containing (a) new evidence and/or (b) evidence-based literature (2,500-3,000 words)
- Proposed abstract. The structured abstract should be approximately 200 words.
Purpose:State the primary objective of the commentary; include the WHO Action(s) that will be the focus of the commentary (e.g., WHO Action 2 “Establish a human rights-based approach to health”, WHO Action 31 “Incorporate a universal design-based approach to the development or refurbishment of health facilities and services”)
Method: Describe the research design and your reasons for adopting that methodology; state the methods and procedures employed, including where appropriate tools, hardware, software, the selection and number of study areas/subjects, and the central experimental interventions; OR state the reasoning behind your literature selection; and the way you critically analyse the literature;
Result: State the main outcomes and results, including relevant data on how the action(s) impacted health outcomes of persons with disabilities and/or influenced one or more of the contributing factors of health inequities; and
Conclusion: State the conclusions that might be drawn, including their implications for further research or application/practice. Read tips on writing your abstract.
Keywords: Disability, Persons with disabilities, Health equity, Health systems
- A statement to indicate that you will be able to submit the manuscript by April 30, 2027 and revisions to the manuscript (after peer review) by June 2027.
People who submit an expression of interest will hear the outcome by the end of January 2027.
If accepted to write a full paper, the requirements are:
- Commentary papers should be 2,500-3,000 words. Word lengths include the title, abstract, references, tables, figures, appendices and references.
- Instructions for authors are here
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=iasl20
- The manuscript should use IJSLP formatting and American Psychological Association referencing
- Include this reference in your work:
World Health Organization (2022). Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities.
- Taylor and Francis’ AI policy is here: https://taylorandfrancis.com/our-policies/ai-policy/
- Taylor and Francis’ open access details:https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=iasl20#Open_access
- The manuscript should be submitted by 30 April 2027 to tandfonline.com/submission/