Accessibility

a line of rainbow human figures with different disabilities

Accessibility creates a better experience for everyone.

Did you know that disability affects nearly 1 in 4 (26%) adults in the United States? However, disability prevalence was reported as 4.6% of medical students in 2019, and 3.1% of physicians in 2021. This collection includes scholarly resources, in-person and virtual events, and other information to help you stay up to date on the latest work happening across medical education. Also included are opportunities for you to engage with colleagues and experts in accessibility, disability, inclusion and more.   

  

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Let's start with definitions. 

Accessibility

A person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.

Disability

A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

A federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability just as other civil rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA guarantees that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to enjoy employment opportunities, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs. It applies to both public and private entities. 

Section 504

Section 504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Section 504 provides: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States . . . shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance . . . ."

The Rights of Students with Disabilities Under the IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) each play a part in federal efforts to support the education of individuals with disabilities. These statutory frameworks, while overlapping, differ in several ways, including which students they cover and the rights and services they afford. When students with disabilities transition between levels of schooling, or between public and private schools, the accommodations and services required by federal law may change.

Why Accessibility Matters

Much of our learning content is presented digitally these days—from learning management systems, emails, websites, and documents. We need inclusive access to learning and disability awareness to prepare students to become the best physicians they can be.  

Dear Colleague Letter on Online Accessibility at Postsecondary Institutions 

On May 19, 2023, the Justice Department and the Department of Education jointly issued a letter reminding colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions to ensure that their online services, programs, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities. Many colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions increasingly rely on their websites and third-party online platforms to provide services, programs, and activities to members of the public. It reiterates that Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require colleges, universities, and other postsecondary institutions to provide equal opportunities to people with disabilities in all their operations.

Disability Inclusion

Disability inclusion means understanding the relationship between the way people function and how they participate in society, and making sure everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires. 

Health Equity Framework for People with Disabilities

This Policy Brief provides rationale for the need of an all-of-government approach to achieve health equity in the United States and our territories for the largest unrecognized minority group in this country, the over 61 million people with disabilities, and sets forth a framework to achieve health equity for all people with disabilities. Disability is a natural part of the human condition, which occurs across all age, gender, racial, ethnic, language and social groups. 

A National Roadmap for Disability-Inclusive Healthcare

Action to Build Clinical Confidence and Culture (ABC3) is a coalition established by Institute for Exceptional Care (IEC). Its purpose is to coordinate national strategies that aim to prepare general clinicians in multiple health professions to serve people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) equitably and effectively. The IDD population includes people with conditions such as Down syndrome, autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, and cerebral palsy.

Creating Accessible Content

Teaching the Hidden Curriculum- Inclusive Teaching Guides & Tips 

The term “hidden curriculum” refers to an amorphous collection of “implicit academic, social, and cultural messages,” “unwritten rules and unspoken expectations,” and “unofficial norms, behaviours and values” of the dominant-culture context in which all teaching and learning is situated. These “assumptions and expectations that are not formally communicated, established, or conveyed” stipulate the “right” way to think, speak, look, and behave in school. Since the hidden curriculum invisibly governs academic achievement, it is vital for every student to learn its lessons. 

National Inclusive Curriculum for Health Education (NICHE)

Founded by AADMD in 2009, NICHE Medical originally started under the project name “National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine” (NCIDM). This program defines and integrates the concepts of Developmental Medicine into the medical school curriculum of medical schools in the United States. As a medical specialty, Developmental Medicine focuses on patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) across the lifespan. 
 

Setting the Tone for Inclusive Classrooms 

This resource focuses on how to implement inclusive practices in the classroom from syllabus design to interpersonal interactions. It is a great starting place for thinking through how to implement inclusive pedagogy. 

Web accessibility 

Web Accessibility is the inclusive practice of designing websites that are usable by all people without the need for adaptation or specialized design. When sites are correctly designed, developed, and edited, all users have equal access to equally effective information and functionality. Everyone benefits from an inclusive accessible website. 

Documents

These resources provide guidance for designing accessible Microsoft, PDF, and other types of documents. 

Scholarship Around Disability

This section will be updated about once a month with a rotating selection of scholarship.

Medical Students with Disabilities

Scientist and Research Trainees with Disabilities

Disability in Residency/GME

Teaching about Disability in MedEd

Testing and Accommodations

Disability Inclusion Virtual Community

Community of medical educators, disability resource professionals, admissions leaders, and assessment specialists focused on disability inclusion in medical education and an outlet for sharing valuable resources to aid stakeholders in creating disability inclusive environments. Topics include admissions, assessments, performance and trajectory, accommodations in didactic and clinical settings, legal case review and analysis, technical standards, and remediating learners with disabilities.

Register here to join the conversations in the community! 

AAMC Accessibility Resources

Disability Representation and Inclusion within Academic Medicine

This webinar series features members of the disability community and disability experts from across the continuum. It advocates for increased representation and inclusion of people with disabilities in academic medicine. Attendees can gain key information on how they can support the inclusion of students and faculty at their institutions as well as their disability resource offices.

About IDEAS
The AAMC IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-racism) Learning Series provides actionable information about DEI strategies that you can put into practice to become a more effective and successful leader, educator, and member of the academic medicine community.

Related Podcasts and Webinars

From Guidance to Growth: The Impact of Mentorship in Disability Services

This episode explores the critical role of mentorship and sponsorship in building the next generation of disability resource professionals (DRPs).

DocsWithDisabilities Research and Resource Rounds

This mini-cast is an off-shoot of the DocsWithDisabilities Podcast, and will provide the audience with an overview of the literature and resources relevant to disability inclusion in health professions education reviewing critical commentaries and research articles in 15 minutes or less.

Fostering an Inclusive Environment: Increasing Course Accessibility- Building Better Curriculum Webinar

As value is placed on accessibility, a welcoming message is sent to learners with disabilities (LWD) that: their needs are important, they are expected to be part of the cohort, and they belong. This strong commitment to accessibility enhances an inclusive learning environment.

Why Aren’t There More Disabled Doctors?

On this episode of “Beyond the White Coat” we discuss why doctors with disabilities are underrepresented in medicine, how society at large continues to play a role in ableism, and small actions that schools and individuals can take that could have big influences on encouraging more people with disability to pursue medicine.  

Reproductive Health and Disability

Dr. Willi Horner-Johnson takes a cross-disability approach to pregnancy and health in her work as Associate Professor at Oregon Health and Science University's School of Public Health, director of the Oregon Office on Disability in Health, and co-PI of the National Center for Disability and Pregnancy. Her work studies both pregnancy of people with disabilities and the birth of people with disabilities from preconception to post-partum health. She calls for a culture shift in reproductive care to respect people with disabilities, and for more accessible healthcare settings.

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