G-2309-19838

Advocates Building Lasting Equality in New Hampshire (ABLE NH) is a disability justice organization that covers the state of New Hampshire. The organization is made up of member businesses, nonprofits, municipal entities, self and family advocates, who are committed to promoting accessibility and inclusivity within healthcare for people with disabilities.

The organization is a returning grantee which received its first grant from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health in 2022. With its first grant from CareQuest Institute, ABLE NH contributed leadership and advocacy to successfully secure the adoption and funding of an adult Medicaid benefit program in NH. That bill provided access to oral health care for nearly 200,000 adults in New Hampshire. ABLE NH also developed a Disability Employment Rubric to promote inclusivity and accessibility within oral health clinics and beyond. Despite these outcomes, there continue to be barriers to care for individuals living with disabilities. ABLE NH’s proposed goal is to influence oral health care delivery from a patient centered, self-advocate perspective by training the patient on how to be the leader in their patient experience. To do this, ABLE NH will work to create and provide individuals and their families with tools, accommodations, and information to improve their oral health care experience.

The proposal details each of the project’s priority activities for the coming year, including:

Data Collection – the organization will undertake an extensive statewide data collection campaign that’s focused on aspects of oral health care benefits that individuals with disabilities are entitled to. This will also include a survey to determine which dentists report versus serve people with disabilities and whether dental offices know how to get an individual with disabilities set up in their system.

Training – ABLE NH will create training resources that will help individuals with disabilities access quality dental care as well as teach them how to be self-advocates in accessing responsive care for their unique needs. Training will also be extended to dentists and dental offices, to help them provide quality dental care that eliminates ableism and creates a welcoming and positive environment for individuals with disabilities.

Partnership with UNH Institute on Disability – this proposal also includes a proposed partnership with the University of New Hampshire and its Institute on Disability. The organization would like to provide a stipend to an individual with a disability to act as a self-advocate mentor in its leadership series program that starts in the fall of 2024. This will advance awareness and advocacy for quality dental care for individuals with disabilities and ensure that audiences and learners are made aware of the connection between oral health and general health.

New Hampshire Oral Health Taskforce – grant funding will also support the organization to continue managing the work of the oral health care task force, which is run by individuals with disabilities in partnership with other New Hampshire stakeholders. In addition to managing the oral health care task force, able New Hampshire will continue to support various partners with disabilities policy direction and leadership.

The requested amount for the proposed scope of work is $100,000. This funding will support salaries of various staff members and their mileage reimbursement and rideshare travel to statewide dentist office for training and follow up. Funding will also be utilized to purchase supplies and technology for people with disabilities to engage remotely in the oral health care task force and other advocacy opportunities. $5,000 will be allocated to advertising and marketing the statewide program outreach to recruit dentists and people with disabilities and stipends for people with disabilities who are sitting on oral health care task force attending advocacy opportunities and conferences or sitting on panels.