Accessibility, Inclusion, and Action in Medical Education: Lived Experiences of Learners and Physicians With Disabilities

To capture the current state of disability in medical education, the AAMC and the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine partnered to publish a new report drawn from the lived experiences of learners with disabilities. This publication weaves together major themes from interviews with 47 students, residents, and physicians with disabilities to identify cultural and structural barriers and catalyze institutional policies that support all qualified learners, regardless of disability, throughout the medical education continuum. The report highlights key considerations that leaders in academic medicine can implement to increase meaningful access for learners with disabilities, including: Infusing considerations for individuals with disabilities into all diversity and inclusion initiatives Designating and resourcing disability services providers who are knowledgeable about medical education Integrating best practices in disability and accessible and respectful language into curricula and pedagogy Taking a universal design approach to both physical space and learner activities and experiences Normalizing help-seeking behaviors and facilitating access to wellness services Providing ongoing professional development for faculty and staff. This report provides medical school faculty, advisors, and administrators with promising practices to help ensure that all qualified learners, regardless of disability, have equal access to medical education and the profession of medicine. The AAMC is committed to diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in everything we do. With this in mind, this new report is being released in an accessible PDF format and we are continuously taking steps to improve the AAMC web-based services and the AAMC website and to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA of the World Wide Web Consortium.