Viscardi’s 1st “Take a Dental Health Day”

On Friday, October 26, The Viscardi Center’s Project Accessible Oral Health Initiative hosted its first ever “Take A Dental Health Day – Screening and Education for the Disability Community” event, where more than 75 dentists, dental residents, dental students and volunteers were able to successfully educate and treat more than 200 children, adolescents and adults with disabilities at the Center’s Albertson campus. The event, in conjunction with the Nassau County Dental Society, was an effort to raise awareness about the number one healthcare crisis in the disability community today – equal access to culturally competent oral healthcare.Said John D. Kemp, President & CEO of The Viscardi Center and Chairman, Project Accessible Oral Health, “Our new “Take a Dental Health Day” was the first time in the Center’s 65-year history that it hosted an oral healthcare focused event. Many of the students and individuals screened have not been able to access, afford or experience appropriate dental care, or find a consistent, accessible dental home where a potentially critical dental issue could be caught early. We couldn’t be more proud to create and launch this proactive initiative. Based on its success, we hope to work with our partners to replicate “Take a Dental Health Day” across the country.”“Project Accessible Oral Health is proud that its unique “Take a Dental Health Day” event is able to effectively fulfill all three pillars of our organization’s mission,” said Barbie Vartanian, Executive Director of Project Accessible Oral Health. “Through this event we are able to educate the patient, caregiver and public about best practice in oral hygiene and the critical need for access to culturally competent oral healthcare providers for those with disabilities. It is also an opportunity for lawmakers to learn about policy gaps and how we can work together to close those gaps. Finally, we are able to leverage our marketing capacity to raise awareness and expand our network of stakeholders who share our passion to make change happen.”

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, New York State Assemblyman Anthony D’ Urso, New York State Senator Kemp Hannon, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Town of North Hempstead Councilman Peter Zuckerman, and Town of North Hempstead Clerk Wayne Wink attended to learn more about this healthcare need.

The program featured varnish applications, an interactive, customized education component including puppets and videos, dental report cards highlighting dental issues, much-needed help in finding an appropriate dental home, if needed, and goody bags to help reinforce good dental health in the home.

Unequal access to oral healthcare is the number one unmet health need for the 57 million people with disabilities in America. This injustice results in lack of preventative care leading to higher costs and negative impact to overall health.

Since its inception in 2017, The Viscardi Center’s Project Accessible Oral Health initiative has worked together with its global network of stakeholders to raise awareness and make change happen through an aggressive schedule of public speaking engagements and its role as a connector of legislators and insurance companies to consider this crisis and how they can help, so that one day all people with disabilities have equal access to oral healthcare as the non-disabled.

About Project Accessible Oral Health
Under The Viscardi Center’s network of 501(c)(3) organizations, Project Accessible Oral Health is a global public-private partnership and the first to nationally assemble and connect a consortium of dental and medical professionals, corporations, organizations, policymakers, educators, people with disabilities, caregivers, and other stakeholders in pursuit of equal access to culturally competent oral healthcare. The Project’s mission is to act as a collective catalyst for change that will not only improve access to oral healthcare, but also ultimately improve the overall health of the disability community. Project Accessible Oral Health’s founders include John D. Kemp, President and CEO of The Viscardi Center, Steve W. Kess, Vice President of Global Professional Relations, Henry Schein, Inc. and Co-Founder of Henry Schein Cares and Dr. Mark Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean at Penn Dental Medicine.

About The Viscardi Center
Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who served as disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents and became one of the world’s leading advocates, The Viscardi Center educates, employs and empowers people with disabilities. It provides K-12 education (up to age 21), school-to-work youth transition services, vocational training, career counseling and employment placement, assistive technology, and adapted driver education to children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of disabilities. The Viscardi Center also assists businesses in diversifying their workforces, and developing and advancing inclusive cultures in their workplaces.