Creating a Disability-Friendly Practice
Creating a disability‑friendly practice is a key part of providing high‑quality, patient‑centered care. By ensuring your space, tools, and communication approaches are accessible, you make it possible for every patient to receive care with comfort, dignity, and independence. Thoughtful adjustments, such as incorporating accessible equipment, ensuring clear and navigable pathways, and offering communication supports, can meaningfully improve the patient experience.
Beyond physical access, building a culture of inclusion is equally important. Encourage your team to use respectful language, understand individual needs, and approach every interaction with empathy and flexibility.
Take some time to view the resources listed below. Please note that each row is hyperlinked to either the originating website or the specific resource on the originating website’s page – click the resource you are interested in to be taken to an external site.
| Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination. |
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| Access to Medical Care for Mobility Disabilities |
| American Medical Association (AMA) American Medical Association (AMA) is the largest and only national association that convenes more than 200 state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders. |
| Accessible & ADA-Compliant Practice |
| Disability Inclusion: An Introduction to Ableism in Medical Education and Health Care |
| Know-the-ADA Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a pivotal civil rights law enacted to prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life. |
| Resources for Healthcare Providers & Patients |
| Telehealth.HHS.gov Telehealth resources for health care providers, including doctors, practitioners, and hospital staff. |
| Disability Research Articles & Papers |
| Telehealth Updates (through 12/2027) |
| Upstate Medical University – Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s mission is to prepare physicians to improve the health of the special populations through patient centered, competent, culturally sensitive, and systems based medical care; advocacy for inclusive and quality health care; and clinical research to advance PMR-related science. |
| Practical Recommendations for Enhancing the Care of Patients with Disability |
| Healthcare Access for Persons with Disabilities |
| U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) CDC serves the American public—individuals, families, and communities—who rely on accurate data, health guidance, and preventive measures. |
| Become a Disability A.L.L.Y. |
| U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – Health Equity Coverage 2 Care Explore the available resources created to help you get involved with C2C so you can support patients throughout their healthcare journey. |
| Improving Access to Care for People with Disabilities |
| Center for Inclusive Health – Special Olympics The Center for Inclusive Health is a one-stop-shop to share and promote resources and tools to increase and normalize the inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in mainstream health care and health promotion services and activities. |
| Inclusive Health Principals and Strategies: How to make your Practices Inclusive of People with Intellectual Disabilities (pdf) |
| Inclusive Health Principals and Strategies |
| Inclusive Provider Self-Audit Tool & Companion Guide |
| Inclusion Basics |