The Washtenaw ID Project: A Government-Issued ID Coalition Working Toward Social, Economic, and Racial Justice and Health Equity

Abstract

Introduction. The policing of identities through policies that restrict access to IDs issued by U.S. governmental entities disparately affects communities of color; communities who identify as low-income, immigrant, older, and/or transgender; and community members who experience chronic mental illness, housing instability, or incarceration. Yet government-issued IDs are increasingly needed to access health-promoting resources such as housing, banking, social services, and health care, and in interactions with law enforcement. Methods. Since 2012, the Washtenaw ID Project’s coalition-building process has involved communities affected by restrictive ID policies, advocates, and institutional stakeholders to enact community and systems change regarding inequities in government-issued IDs. We discuss the coalition-building process that culminated in the implementation of a photo ID issued by Washtenaw County government as a policy change strategy. We also highlight the community-academic research partnership evaluating the effectiveness of the Washtenaw ID in order to ensure equity in Washtenaw ID access and acceptance. Results. In 2015, 77% of Washtenaw ID holders reported having no other locally accepted ID. At follow-up, Washtenaw ID holders reported favorable Washtenaw ID acceptance rates in several domains (e.g., health care, school), but not when accessing banking services and housing. Additionally, community discussions suggested racial inequities in carding and ID acceptance. We discuss next steps for policy improvement to ensure equitable impact of the ID. Conclusions. Without national policy reform instating access to government-issued IDs for all, the social movement to establish local IDs may improve access to health-related resources contingent on having an ID. Careful attention must be paid to community organizing processes, policy implementation, and evaluation to ensure equity.

State Preemption of Municipal Laws and Policies that Protect Immigrant Communities: Impact on Latine Health and Well-Being in North Carolina

“…Other studies have explored processes, benefits, and challenges associated with locally issued IDs, and continued research is needed to identify best practices for these programs. 38 - 40 At the same time, participants cited NC’s driver’s license restrictions as extremely detrimental, indicating that long-term strategies should include a focus on driver’s license access for immigrants as a policy-level public health intervention. 11 , 41 , 42 …”

Social and spatial distribution of soil lead concentrations in the City of Santa Ana, California: Implications for health inequities

“…Exposure to lead (Pb), a neurotoxicant, is associated with an array of adverse educational, health, and socioeconomic outcomes (LeBrón et al, 2019a(LeBrón et al, , 2019bMarkowitz and Rosner, 2013). Moreover, communities of color, low-income communities, and residents of urban areas are disproportionately affected by Pb exposures (Jones et al, 2009;Mielke et al, 1983;Rothenberg et al, 1996).…”

“…Pathways of Pb exposure include lead paint in older homes and other buildings through lead chips in building and house dust (Jacobs et al, 2002;Rabinowitz et al, 1985), lead-contaminated water systems (Hanna-Attisha et al, 2016), lead in other consumer products (e.g., food systems), Pb exposures in workplace settings (e.g., metal smelting) (Grigoryan et al, 2016), and lead in soil (Laidlaw et al, 2016;Mielke et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2010), which may have originated from lead-based paint, historical gasoline, or other sources. However, environmental assessments indicate ongoing environmental Pb exposures despite the removal of lead from many consumer products (Hanna-Attisha et al, 2016;LeBrón et al, 2019aLeBrón et al, , 2019b. Importantly, numerous studies show Pb and the resuspension of soil Pb to be strongly associated with blood Pb levels in children (Maisonet et al, 1997;Mielke et al, 2007;Weitzman et al, 1993;Zahran et al, 2013).…”

“…In community settings, lead in the soil is a persistent exposure source due in part to limited disturbances of soil and limited degradation of lead. While a robust evidence base indicates that no level of Pb exposure is safe for young children (LeBrón et al, 2019a(LeBrón et al, , 2019b, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicates a limit of soil Pb levels of 400 ppm (ppm) in areas where children play, and 1200 ppm in other uncovered areas (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2001). However, in an effort to minimize Pb exposure for children, the California EPA's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment advises that areas where children play have soil Pb levels at or below 80 ppm (Carlisle, 2009).…”

Risk assessment of soil heavy metal contamination at the census tract level in the city of Santa Ana, CA: implications for health and environmental justice

“…A notable strength of this analysis is its foundation, which stems from principles of community-academic partnerships and community priorities. [93][94][95][96] Accordingly, the research questions, study design, analysis, and ongoing development of recommendations were individually guided by our collaboration. Community-academic partnerships hold promise for translating research into action in order to improve community health and health equity.…”