Ensuring disabled individuals have equal access to medical education is key to shaping a healthcare workforce that reflects our diverse population. To achieve this, medical education programs must implement changes not only to their facilities and curricula but also to the prevailing attitudes and perceptions surrounding the capabilities of individuals living with disabilities.
Creating a System of Equitable Healthcare
An accessible health system is a need, not just a goal. Inclusive medical training helps prepare all providers to address the needs of patients with disabilities, leading to a healthcare system that understands the diverse needs of every patient.
As part of the 2024 MedHub Virtual Medical Education Summit, Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, Director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services at the University of Michigan, hosted a session on Disability in Healthcare. He shared his story and spoke on ways that program directors and educators can create a more inclusive system.
Dr. Okanlami graduated from Stanford University, where he was an academic All-American athlete and captain in Track and Field. Just before beginning his orthopedic surgery residency at Yale, Dr. Okanlami experienced a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the chest down.
Why Inclusive Medical Training Matters
While Dr. Okanlami’s life was forever changed by his injury, he was given the access he needed to complete his residency program. He says this effort made all the difference in his life, and he cautioned educators against making assumptions about their students’ abilities.
“Most individuals want to do the right thing, but just don’t know how. They think they’re doing the right thing by discouraging individuals with disabilities from going into medicine because they feel as though they are doing them a disservice if they are bringing them into a space that is difficult and that is not the most accessible,” he said.
The importance of disability access in medical education is underscored by statistics that highlight the prevalence of disabilities not just within the general population, but within the medical community itself. Recent data shows that 4.6% of enrolled medical students have sought accommodations for disabilities, a figure that has been on the rise. Dr. Okanlami says the key is to let students show what they are capable of doing.
“Allow your trainees to demonstrate what they’re able to do,” he advised, before questioning, “what if people had limited my ability to be in that residency program because they thought, ‘how could we possibly have a wheelchair user as a senior resident, as the most senior resident in the hospital when they’re responsible for running the codes?”
An Emphasis on Realistic Training
About 13% of Americans live with a disability. However, most medical education programs do not equip future practitioners with the skills needed to treat these patients. Dr. Okanlami challenged the audience to reflect on how many patients their trainees see that have a disability.
“Oftentimes, we shield ourselves, we shield our trainees from disability,” he said. “And it’s not until you’re a resident that you are actually confronted with how to navigate that space.”
Dr. Okanlami reminded the audience that empathy goes a long way in healthcare.
“As our population grows and medicine improves, we are going to see more and more individuals with disabilities. And if we fail to include them in the system of healthcare, we’re going to continue to see disparities in care for the disability community because we do not have people that have a lived experience understanding what we are doing.”
How Can We Create a More Accessible System?
The need for a more accessible healthcare education system is clear. The path to get there is not.
“We have technology and innovation that allows cars to drive for themselves, but we yet do not have enough of a way to then figure out how we can create access for disability in a more universally accessible way,” said Dr. Okanlami.
When asked how programs can help, Dr. Okanlami points to the Doctors with Disabilities Initiative as a way to take the necessary steps to create a more accessible system. He also advised programs that when it comes to accommodations, individual needs matter most.
“It all goes back to the individual. It is not specific to the specialty as much as it is specific to the individual that is coming into it. Whether the person is low vision, whether it’s a mobility disability, the barrier someone experiences is what we need to accommodate,” he said.
Throughout his discussion, Dr. Okanlami stressed that the easiest way to create an accessible space is to give people the opportunity to identify their needs.
“Too often people fail to disclose or choose not to disclose because they fear that they’re not going to be given access anymore because they’re going to be seen as inadequate,” he said. Having an open environment where requests can be made is key for program directors. “They know their accommodations are not going to be seen as a liability.”
Lessons from the University of Michigan
One program that Dr. Okanlami credits for leading the charge on creating an accessible system is the University of Michigan. The university has formally integrated disability into the medical school curriculum. In addition to a deaf clinic, women’s health clinic, and adaptive sports and fitness program, one of the premier approaches the school has taken is launching MDisability, a collaborative family medicine program. MDisability focuses on improving the primary care of people with disabilities through medical education, research, clinical care, and community partnerships.
Michigan Medicine also offers a disability health medical school elective, a two-week course for third- and fourth-year medical students in the branches to rotate among different clinics specializing in disability-based care. Students are able to see disability from multiple perspectives, and to see how they can provide care to the community.
Statistics show the clear need for comprehensive disability access in medical education. As the number of students and practitioners with disabilities continues to grow, it is vital for medical institutions to implement and refine policies that ensure full participation and equal opportunities. By taking the necessary steps, we can enrich the medical profession with diverse perspectives and experiences.
Join us at the 2025 MedHub Virtual Medical Education Summit on August 20 and 21, 2025. Register for your spot today.