Dismantling Ableism in Undergraduate Medical Education: Promising Practices in Disability-Conscious Training

The healthcare workforce in the United States does not provide the same standard of care for people with disabilities as for nondisabled people. Many academic medical institutions do not routinely offer disability-conscious medical training, and many clinicians and medical educators feel ill-equipped to incorporate anti-ableist learning goals into their curricula. Drawing on a critical review of the literature and interviews with medical educators, representatives of professional organizations, and disability advocates, this article presents promising practices for disability-conscious undergraduate medical education. Disability-conscious education, which is grounded in the insights of disability studies and disability rights and justice frameworks, is distinguished from disability-specific education, which may not extend beyond biomedical models of disability. First, we define current approaches to teaching about disability, highlighting limitations and opportunities for further development. We then identify and analyze approaches to teaching about disability that support the development of disability consciousness among learners. With attention to both curricular format and theoretical frameworks, we offer concrete approaches that medical schools can take to equip students with the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and practices they need to provide equitable care for patients with disabilities.