The Black Rehabilitation Manifesto

SUMMARY

The Black Rehabilitation Manifesto requires the acknowledgement of the harmful nature of the status quo in rehabilitative advocacy, education, practice, and community engagement.  The status quo has resulted in increased healthcare costs, widening of the gap in individualized care, and increased disability and premature deaths in Black communities.

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The Manifesto represents a collaborative effort of Black practitioners, students, and patients/clients to verbalize our expectations of stakeholders involved in rehabilitation advocacy, community engagement, practice, research, and education. Although the recommendations do not include overly detailed events, activities, or funding amounts, these omissions are not to be misinterpreted as current or potential acceptance of superficial or performative activities.

We collectively believe that each stakeholder has a moral and social obligation to partner with us to diversify the workforce, mandate inclusion within educational, research, and practice settings, and improve the health and wellness conditions of Black communities. We expect these recommendations to be considered and implemented intentionally and immediately with the Black community  being actively involved in the decision-making process and the implementation of those decisions. ​