While there is agreement that secondary conditions can be debilitating, costly in terms of financial and social consequences, and potentially fatal in some circumstances, there is much debate within the disability community as to how to define secondary conditions. To set the stage for future columns dedicated to providing information and advice on how to reduce or prevent these conditions to improve quality of life for people with disabilities, this column will provide a framework within which to examine these issues.

Read the entire article at http://www.ncpad.org/360/2050/Defining~Secondary~Conditions ~for~People~with~Disabilities, and contact Dr. Jennifer Rowland at jenrow@uic.edu or (312) 413-1850.