PAOH President’s Letter: Why Create Awareness?

By Steven Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (hon), PAOH President

As I thought about what to write about for my message to you, our readers, this month, I researched for a possible theme that would be appropriate for March.

March happens to be the month that brings wide attention to cerebral palsy (CP), colorectal cancer, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prevention, developmental disabilities, endometriosis, essential tremor, multiple sclerosis (MS), the Red Cross, self-injury, brain injury trisomy-related conditions.  Then March 21st is World Down Syndrome Day, World Glaucoma Day;  National Eating Disorder weeks are also celebrated.

For individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disorders, having these comorbidities and/or secondary conditions only adds insult to injury to their burden of disease. It also negatively impacts their ability to access and receive quality healthcare.

We may seek to create awareness of these conditions, but what’s important is how can we translate that into better health outcomes, acceptable waiting times for patient appointments that are necessary, better-trained healthcare professionals, a more welcoming office environment, and overall experiences.

“There is great value in the belief that any challenge can be overcome by taking small steps. Small steps are possible for all of us. Like birthdays, ‘awareness days’ come and go, but the real celebration inherent in both birthdays and ‘awareness days’ come from growth, change, action, and advocacy.”

We have been kicking this can down the road for far too long for our most invisible medically and dentally underserved population. The American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry (AADMD), People Advocating for Optimal Health (PAOH), and HELEN Journal were created by a few of us because of our awareness of the issues at hand and the problems we needed to fix.

Our position papers, policy statements, guidelines and countless responses to intolerable and discriminatory situations were made because you, our colleagues, readers and partners, have made us truly “aware” of the disparities, inequalities, injustices and practices that have been and continue to be perpetuated on people with disabilities on a regular basis.

Until the barriers to care cease to exist, until the broken system is fixed, until discrimination, whether biased or unbiased, is eliminated, we will need all these “awareness days, weeks, and months.”

Eckhart Tolle, the spiritual philosopher, reminds us that “Awareness is the greatest agent for change.” Change starts with the realization that where we are is not where we need or want to remain.

There is great value in the belief that any challenge can be overcome by taking small steps. Small steps are possible for all of us. Like birthdays, “awareness days” come and go, but the real celebration inherent in both birthdays and “awareness days” come from growth, change, action, and advocacy. Perhaps the idea of “awareness” itself needs to be celebrated. What about an “Awareness Awareness Day”? Now that would be something, no?

Steven Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (hon), PAOH President