Recent studies show that people with developmental disabilities and mental illness have a greater risk for chronic disease than the general population. This is not new news.

A few years ago (around the time this photo was taken, after I trained the staff of Easter Seals Arkansas on the curriculum of special needs exercise and health education) I attended a population health summit in Washington DC.
Having been the head of a special needs Wellness Program at Easter Seals NJ at that time, my biggest takeaway was:
When you look at the most underserved people in our communities and look within those communities at the percentage of people with Intellectual disabilities and serious and persistent mental illness- you are then looking at the greatest of health inequities on the planet. 

If you are a community leader, health professional, or a family member of an individual with a disability, though the challenge of routine healthcare may at times be great, individuals with special needs require  preventive care, regular exercise and good nutrition as much as the total population, if not more.

Inclusion matters where health matters.