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LAWRENCE — University of Kansas researchers have published a study about perspectives of individuals with disabilities on health care policy, and respondents overwhelmingly stated access to health care is vital and they would like policymakers to pay more attention to their needs. While the respondents largely reflect the political opinions of American society at large, they tended to agree that health care should be viewed as a human right.
Maj. Gen. Diana Holland to Give Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership Lecture
LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that Maj. Gen. Diana Holland will give a virtual lecture at 7 p.m. Nov. 12. Holland graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and served in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Joint Task Force Sapper and Task Force Diamond in Afghanistan. She also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As commander of the South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, she oversaw support to disaster-stricken states following hurricanes Irma, Maria, Florence and Michael.
Professor appointed editor at top accounting journal
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas professor Chan Li has been appointed as an editor at The Accounting Review, the premier journal for accounting research. Li, the Stephen A. Batman Professor at the KU School of Business, joined the faculty in fall 2019. Her editorship marks the third among recent Accounting Review editorial rotations for KU business school accounting faculty.
Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected], @MikeKrings
People with disabilities view health care access as human right, study shows
LAWRENCE — Politicians discuss the ins and outs of health care while trying to win votes, but for one important population, policymakers do not seem to be listening. University of Kansas researchers have published a study about perspectives of individuals with disabilities on health care policy, and respondents overwhelmingly stated access to health care is vital and they would like policymakers to pay more attention to their needs.
Scholars analyzed data from 35 phone interviews and survey responses from more than 475 individuals with disabilities about health policy. While the respondents largely reflect the political opinions of American society at large, they tended to agree that health care should be viewed as a human right and that feelings of social exclusion and stigma inform what they would like to tell officials who make health policy in the United States.
“We found that people with disabilities are marginalized and stigmatized and that policymakers don’t listen to them,” said Sarah Smith, a doctoral candidate in sociology, graduate research assistant at KU and lead author of the study. “They also felt that access to health insurance was important in order to be able to take part in society and that policymakers did not consider how the policies they make affected their lives.”
The study, published in the Journal of Disability & Policy Studies, was co-written by Smith; Jean Hall, professor of applied behavioral science and director of KU’s Institute for Health & Disability Policy Studies, and Noelle Kurth, senior research assistant at the institute. The interviews and surveys revealed five key themes about health policy perspectives among people with disabilities.
- Access to health insurance and health care is critical for their ability to participate in society
- They felt that politicians did not understand or prioritize the needs and experiences of people with disabilities
- Participants used a variety of arguments why policymakers and society should care about people with disabilities
- They felt access to health care is a human right or moral imperative
- Participants expressed largely positive views regarding the Affordable Care Act.
Respondents nearly uniformly reported how important employment was to their lives in terms of financial security, access to health insurance, not depending on state programs for health coverage and for personal dignity. However, they also faced many barriers to employment, especially those living in states that have not expanded Medicaid who tend to lose eligibility when they are employed.
“Employment is a key component of being part of society and a big part of personal identity,” Smith said. “But it can be very hard to access, and most health insurance is tied to employment, which also makes insurance difficult to access, especially if you’re not employed full time.”
Many study participants also shared that policymakers do not consider the needs of constituents with disabilities.
“I hear politicians on the TV talking about me as if I am the cause of the budget deficit,” one respondent said. “They seem to lump us into a group of people — well, not people: ‘You’re the budget deficit, you’re this, you’re that,’ instead of saying, ‘These are people who need care.’ Maybe the number one thing, then, is an attitude change. You’re not dealing with line items on a budget; you’re dealing with what real people need.”
Previous research has shown political leanings of people with disabilities are representative of those of American society at large, and participants used a variety of arguments for a matter they agreed on: Policymakers should care about individuals with disabilities. The arguments included that no one chooses to be disabled, anyone can become disabled, better health care access will lead to more productive society, all individuals should matter to policymakers as human beings and that politicians should make the health care policy for all like what they want for themselves and their families.
Health care was viewed as a human right, not something that should only be available to certain members of society, the findings showed.
“Policymakers already know that restricting access to health care has outcomes that range from loss of income to loss of life,” one participant said. “True access means that all citizens, regardless of their ability to pay, have access to the same range of services. Like water and an unpolluted environment, health services are essential to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The study’s participants also expressed largely positive opinions about the Affordable Care Act. Many reported that they still struggled with health care costs but were at least able to get health insurance through the act. Primarily, the law’s health insurance premium subsidies, coverage for preexisting conditions and Medicaid expansion were important to study participants.
Taken as a whole, the results show the connections among disability stigma, health policy and politics. Previous research has shown that people with disabilities face barriers to political participation, similar to those they face with employment and participation in society, and as a result their voices are often underrepresented in health policy discussions, even though their lives are greatly affected by the policies enacted. As key participants in programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, the population can provide vital insight into the functioning and outcomes of those programs, the authors wrote. As America’s population ages and the COVID-19 pandemic affects more people’s long-term health, new complications to health care access can be expected, which the authors plan to address in future research.
“This is a population that knows a lot about health policy, because they have to know a lot about navigating insurance and health care systems. Policymakers should listen to them,” Smith said.
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Contact: Zac Walker, Dole Institute of Politics, 785-864-9319, [email protected], @DoleInstitute
Maj. Gen. Diana Holland to Give Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership Lecture
LAWRENCE — The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas has announced that Maj. Gen. Diana Holland will give the Fall 2020 Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership Lecture at 7 p.m. Nov. 12 on the institute’s YouTube channel.
“We are thrilled to have Major General Holland as our guest for this year’s Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership lecture,” Director Bill Lacy said. “Her distinguished and storied career with the U.S. Army is an inspiration. Her lifetime of service to this country made her a natural choice.”
Holland graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers in 1990. She served in Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Joint Task Force Sapper and Task Force Diamond in Afghanistan. She also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. As commander of the South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, she oversaw support to disaster-stricken states following hurricanes Irma, Maria, Florence and Michael.
In 2015, Holland was the first woman appointed commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In that same year, she was the first woman to hold the title of deputy commander of support in a light infantry division. She currently serves with the Army Corps of Engineers as the commanding general of the Mississippi Valley Division and as the president of the Mississippi River Commission, both firsts for a woman in these appointments.
Holland’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal, to name a few.
Launched in 2017, the Elizabeth Dole Women in Leadership Lecture features women who break barriers, make significant contributions to their fields and reach positions of leadership. Guest speakers are leaders who exemplify perseverance, motivation, innovative thinking and the ability to overcome challenges.
This signature series is named for former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, in honor of her long career in public service. Dole served as commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. secretary of transportation, U.S. secretary of labor, president of the American Red Cross and a U.S. senator representing the state of North Carolina. Her career papers have been gifted to the Dole Institute Archive and Special Collections and will soon be available to researchers, students and scholars.
This special program will be livestreamed to the institute’s YouTube channel and to its website. Due to continuing concerns regarding the novel coronavirus pandemic, the program will only be available online.
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Contact: Lauren Cunningham, School of Business, 785-864-9540, [email protected], @KUbschool
Professor appointed editor at top accounting journal
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas professor Chan Li has been appointed as an editor at The Accounting Review, the premier journal for accounting research.
Li is the Stephen A. Batman Professor at the KU School of Business. She joined the faculty in fall 2019. Her editorship marks the third among recent Accounting Review editorial rotations for KU business school accounting faculty. Colleagues who previously served as Accounting Review editors include Mike Wilkins, Larry D. Horner/KPMG Professor, and Michael Ettredge, distinguished professor emeritus.
Ettredge advised Li as she worked toward her doctorate in accounting from KU. Li said she felt honored to be named an editor, noting Ettredge’s time as an editor at the top accounting journal.
“I still remember 10 years ago, people at various meetings told me that their papers were handled by then-Accounting Review editor, my Ph.D. adviser, Mike Ettredge,” she said. “They told me what a great editor he was, even when their papers were rejected. This reminds me how high the bar is to become a great editor, and I hope to someday meet that bar.“
Li assumed her Accounting Review editorial responsibility in July. She also serves as an editor at Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory. Li’s primary research interest is in archival auditing, particularly in the economic consequences of auditing, the effects of regulation on the audit environment, auditor judgment and audit quality.
She has published more than 20 articles in leading academic journals, including The Accounting Review; Journal of Accounting Research; Journal of Accounting and Economics; Contemporary Accounting Research and more. Li’s work has been cited by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, The New York Times, Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal.
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