IDD Health Matters

IDD Health Matters hosted by Craig Escudé, MD, FAAFP, FAADM features guests from across the globe who are leading the efforts to improve health, wellness and health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

IDD Health Matters is a health podcast hosted by IntellectAbility, with 160 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

IntellectAbility hosts IDD Health Matters, a health show with 160 episodes published.

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  IDD Health Matters

  Ep 161: Turning Personal Experience into Disability Health Reform

  Aug 16, 202626 min

  Kendra Clark, a physician assistant and disability health advocate, shares her deeply personal journey, explaining how her brother Guy survived a severe traumatic brain injury as a child and lived with significant disabilities, inspiring her lifelong commitment to caregiving and later a career in pediatric neurosurgery. After years of witnessing healthcare providers struggle to effectively communicate with and care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and following both her brother's death and her own experience surviving a brain tumor and acquiring a disability, she became dedicated to improving disability-focused healthcare education. She founded the Disability Health Education Initiative, a nonprofit organization that develops training resources for healthcare students and professionals, advocating for disability-specific clinical education, accessible healthcare environments, and greater involvement of people with disabilities in healthcare design and research. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes that better clinician training and accessibility are essential to achieving equitable healthcare outcomes for people with disabilities.

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  IDD Health Matters

  Ep 160: Jenna Bainbridge: Breaking Barriers in Broadway and Accessibility Advocacy

  Aug 9, 202642 min

  This IDD Health Matters podcast features Jenna Bainbridge, a Broadway actor, disability rights advocate, and founder of the nonprofit Consultability. Bainbridge discusses her experience as an ambulatory wheelchair user following a childhood spinal cord injury, explaining how disability shaped her life, career, and advocacy work. She describes overcoming internalized ableism, finding representation and community through theater, and becoming the first wheelchair user to play Nessa Rose in Broadway's Wicked. The conversation explores the importance of authentic disability representation in media, the impact of ableism and inaccessible environments, and the need for inclusive design and cultural change. Bainbridge also highlights the work of Consultability, which helps arts organizations improve accessibility through physical and cultural audits, training, and consultation. She concludes by emphasizing three key principles for improving the lives of people with disabilities: removing physical barriers, encouraging open communication about access needs, and increasing representation, all of which help create a more inclusive society.

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  IDD Health Matters

  Ep 159: Dr. Craig Escude's Mission to Better Serve People with IDD

  Aug 2, 202630 min

  Guest host Richard Chapman interviews Dr. Craig Escude about his career and work improving healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He explains how he entered the field while working in Mississippi, discovered that most healthcare professionals receive little or no training on caring for people with IDD, and learned critical lessons from experienced nurses, caregivers, and families. Dr. Escude highlights common but often overlooked health risks such as constipation, aspiration pneumonia, and seizure disorders, emphasizing that untreated medical conditions can significantly affect behavior and quality of life. He advocates for person-centered care, recognizing people with IDD as individuals first, and stresses the need for mandatory IDD-related training in medical, nursing, and other healthcare education programs. He also discusses his transition from clinical practice to educating healthcare providers nationwide through IntellectAbility's training programs and health risk screening tools, with the goal of reducing preventable illness, improving health equity, and enhancing the lives of people with IDD.

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  IDD Health Matters

  Ep 158: The Overlooked Link Between Brain Injury and IDD

  Jul 26, 202627 min

  Rebeccah Wolfkiel and Jill Ferrington from the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA), discuss the connection between brain injuries and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The guests explain that many individuals receive IDD services because of brain injuries sustained during childhood, while others with IDD may be at increased risk for brain injuries later in life due to factors such as seizures, falls, mobility challenges, and medication side effects. They highlight research showing that adults with IDD experience traumatic brain injuries at significantly higher rates than the general population and emphasize the importance of screening, early identification, and brain injury–informed supports. The discussion focuses on practical strategies for caregivers and case managers, including the use of validated screening tools, memory aids, structured routines, trauma-informed care, and personalized support plans. The speakers also stress the need for stronger collaboration between brain injury and IDD service systems, better documentation of brain injury histories, preventive measures to reduce future injuries, and increased awareness that simple accommodations can greatly improve quality of life and community integration for affected individuals.

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  IDD Health Matters

  Ep 157: Person-Centered Support in Action: Practical Tools for Better Outcomes

  Jul 19, 202631 min

  In this ID Health Matters podcast episode, David Toback discusses how to put person-centered thinking into daily practice when supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He emphasizes that person-centered support means seeing individuals as whole people rather than focusing only on diagnoses, and describes several practical tools: the Learning Log, which captures meaningful observations about what worked and did not work during everyday experiences; the Two-Minute Drill, a simple technique for encouraging participation and generating ideas in meetings and conversations; and Branching Conversations, which use curiosity and thoughtful follow-up questions to better understand what matters to a person. Toback also stresses the importance of "guess, ask, write" — avoiding assumptions, verifying understanding with the individual, and documenting their intentions rather than staff interpretations. Throughout the discussion, he highlights that listening first, acting with people rather than upon them, and ensuring their voices are heard can improve relationships, quality of life, and support outcomes while promoting dignity, inclusion, and genuine human connection.

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