Health and wellness is not a static process of examining the functions of organ systems. It addresses the interacting physiological, psychological, social, and environmental processes that make up an individual's life. Health care consumers increasingly expect; and are expected to; manage their own health. The best health care helps them do that. Innovations in our health-care system present opportunities to provide better quality of care for people with disabilities. The challenge for the health care system is to understand the dynamics of providing people-centered services to consumers who are:

• Diverse in terms of type of disability and ethno cultural background; and
• Knowledgeable health-care consumers.

How does the health-care system utilize that knowledge on behalf of both their health and efficient health-care delivery?

We can accomplish these objectives only by integrating medical services, community resources, disability-specific health promotion research, and the knowledge and experience of people with disabilities. We must translate this knowledge into resources that can assist health plans in developing services that help people with disabilities live 'Healthy with a Disability.'