Accessibility in Medicine

Making Healthcare Accessible

Many healthcare spaces remain inaccessible to people with disabilities, often through limitations in their physical space, lack of effective communication, institutional policies, poor training of providers, and personal bias. Resources in this section either touch on the provision of accommodations in healthcare or the clinical care of people with disabilities.

University of Colorado Anschutz – JFK Partners
“The mission of JFK Partners is to promote the independence, inclusion, contribution, health and well-being of people with developmental disabilities and special health care needs and their families through consumer, community, and university partnerships” 
Access the JFK Partners Educational Webinars 

Denver Health – Adaptive Primary Care
"The availability of accessible medical care can often be limited for patients with mobility disabilities. Recognizing this lack of equity in care, Denver Health created a clinic on the hospital’s main campus to provide comprehensive primary care for these individuals. The clinic has staff trained in the use of lifts and slide boards for safe patient transfers, as well as primary care providers with additional interest and training in issues faced by patients who use wheelchairs. Our nursing staff is trained in catheter care and wound care."
Visit the Denver Health Adaptive Care Website 

Denver Health – Global Adult Down Syndrome Clinic
“In 2018, Denver Health and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation opened a pilot clinic with the goal to provide high quality care to Colorado adults with Down syndrome. With generous funding from the Anna and Jon Sie Foundation, the Global Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at Denver Health is staffed by experts in the field – Dr. Barry Martin, M.D. and Dr. Nicholas Breitnauer, MD– to address medical health concerns of adults with Down syndrome. In addition, Nina Cruchon, LCSW, works alongside the medical providers to address behavioral health concerns. Shaun Jackson, DPT, is providing physical therapy services to patients seen in the clinic.”
Visit the Denver Health Global Adult Down Syndrome Clinic Website

Learning Tools for Providing Care for People with Disabilities
Health Care for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Toolkit for Primary Care Providers 
Access the Health Care Toolkit 

National Center for Disability and Pregnancy Research 
“Improving disabled people’s pregnancy experiences and outcomes through research, training, and education.” 
Visit the Disability and Pregnancy Research Website 

Supporting Trainees with Disabilities

Significant barriers remain in providing inclusive and accommodating training environments, and healthcare trainees with disabilities report much higher rates of mistreatment from not only patients, but also colleagues and supervisors. These resources provide some context around disability as an under-represented minority in medicine and how to start implementing changes locally to make training more supportive.

Learn to create accessible medical school admissions: 
Watch the Society for Physicians with Disabilities Webinar 

Docs with Disabilities Initiative:  
“The Docs with Disabilities initiative uses research, education, and sharing of stories to drive change in perceptions, disability policy, and procedures in health professions, biomedical and science education. Our aim is to build more inclusive educational environments for trainees with disabilities and increase representation of disabled clinicians and scientists in the biomedical workforce.” 
View projects & research by Docs with Disabilities 

Engaging in Disability Advocacy and Policy

Community engagement is a great way to support people with disabilities. These are a few local and national organizations to consider working with or following on social media to advance your own awareness of the current issues and to support their advocacy efforts.

Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC)
The Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, or CCDC, is Colorado’s premier disability rights advocacy organization. We are run by and for people with disabilities. We advocate for social justice for Coloradans with all types of disabilities. We strive for all Coloradans with disabilities to live full, equitable lives with equal access to any civic, professional, and/or personal opportunities that are available to people without disabilities. 
Learn more about the CCDC

Join CU Disability Alliance (CUDA)
We are a group of providers, staff, residents, and students across the CU School of Medicine system. Many of us identify as having a disability/chronic illness. Through June 2024 we are piloting monthly meetings to provide a safe space to connect with others. If you would like to be added to our calendar invite or group communications, please contact us at disabilityalliance@ucdenver.edu

Join Excellence In Transitions for Everyone (EXCITE) 
We are a multidisciplinary group of providers and researchers across the CU Anschutz system who are dedicated to pediatric to adult transitions for patients with complex care needs. This informal group meets the 3rd Wednesday evening of the month to discuss what is going on at our local clinics and how to collaborate. If you would like to be added to our calendar invite or group communications, please contact us at accessiblemedicine@cuanschutz.edu.