Moving Forward Together: Establishing an Actionable Pedagogical Approach to Ableism-Aware Medical Education

As a form of discrimination, ableism impacts access to and the experience of clinical care for patients with disabilities as well as the daily experiences of learners and clinicians with disabilities. Ableist beliefs and practices conflict with physicians' professional responsibilities and legal obligations to provide care that is nondiscriminatory and accessible. An actionable pedagogical approach within medical education is needed to prepare a physician workforce that is able to meaningfully identify and mitigate ableism at all levels of the health care system. In this article, the authors propose a 3-pronged approach to ableism-aware medical education, building on frameworks that have been articulated for addressing other forms of discrimination to set forth a practical framework easily adopted by educators who may not be experts in ableism and its impact. The 3-pronged approach aligns with American Medical Association and Association of American Medical Colleges perspectives on advancing health equity and is inclusive of priority areas articulated by stakeholders, including those living with disability, those teaching about disability, and those advancing equity within medicine more broadly. The authors provide strategies relevant to medical students, faculty, and institutions, recognizing that ableism exists-and can be addressed-on multiple levels.