The ACGME has released the official proceedings from the 2025 Summit on Fostering Disability-Inclusive Health Care in Resident Education, held March 2–4 in Chicago. This groundbreaking event brought together 90 leaders in graduate and undergraduate medical education, practicing physicians, and disability advocates to address persistent barriers and develop strategies for improving physician education and training in caring for patients with disabilities.
Why This Matters
Nearly 35 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), individuals with disabilities continue to experience significant health disparities. Research shows that more than 80 percent of physicians believe people with disabilities have a lower quality of life, and many lack confidence in providing equal care. The Summit focused on reversing these trends by embedding disability-related knowledge and skills into medical education, starting with residency, the most formative stage of physician education and training.
Several speakers and panels shared first-hand experiences, important elements to road maps for curriculum development, and analysis of considerable insights from breakout groups.
Highlights from the Proceedings:
- Residency as a Critical Period: Opening remarks emphasized that residency is the ideal time to instill values and competencies for disability-inclusive care, ensuring physicians enter practice prepared to meet the needs of all patients.
- Core Disability Competencies Identified: Six essential competencies were outlined, including professionalism and patient-centered care, legal obligations under the ADA, and team-based practice.
- Practical Recommendations: Attendees proposed creating a national repository of disability education resources, integrating disability content into existing curricula, and engaging individuals with disabilities as educators.
- Teaching Residents: Insights from breakout groups discussing core knowledge, skills, and attitudes for teaching residents included the need for residents to understand the common comorbidities and medical complications related to different types of disabilities, develop an ability to communicate and adapt physical exams and clinical procedures to meet patients’ needs, become aware of diagnostic overshadowing and anchoring bias, appreciate the patient’s expertise in order to provide respectful care to patients with disabilities, and understand legal considerations under the ADA, Affordable Care Act, and Rehabilitation Act.
- Systemic Change: Long-term priorities include training on accessible medical equipment, fostering collaboration across institutions and specialties, and developing objective measures to assess the impact of disability-related education on patient outcomes.
The Summit represents a significant step toward ensuring that physicians are equipped to provide safe, respectful, and effective care for patients with disabilities.
Access the full Disability Summit Proceedings on the ACGME website.
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