Event Recap: Diversability Unplugged: Disability & Bias in Healthcare

By Katherine Lewis, Content Manager at Diversability

For our March “Diversability Unplugged: Disability & Bias in Healthcare”, we were honored to host a panel of powerhouse advocates for an incredible discussion on disability bias in the healthcare industry, the road toward accessible and equitable care for the community, and a variety of perspectives from patients and practitioners. Our panelists included Dr. Nichole Taylor (she/her), Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology; Andrea Dalzell (she/her), Registered Nurse and Disability Rights Advocate; Tessa Gordon (she/her), Licensed Psychotherapist; Chimère L. Smith (she/her), Patient Advocate and Speaker; and Maria Town (she/her), American Association of People with Disabilities.

Diversability’s Content Manager Katherine Lewis kicked off the evening by welcoming attendees and sharing more about Diversability’s work. She, as well as the panelists then briefly introduced themselves before diving into the evening’s topics. 

Discussion Overview

To begin the evening’s discussion, panelists shared their personal perspectives on what equity in healthcare means to them. Most agreed that equity for the disabled community is multidimensional and requires action both in and out of the healthcare industry in order to be reached. The general consensus was that systemic policy changes at all levels of government and society are required.

The remainder of the discussion centered primarily around how the disabled community is impacted by an inherently ableist and biased healthcare system, the contributing factors to these disparities, and what panelists believe is the way forward. Panelists shared their personal experiences with bias and inaccessible care, shedding light on the incredibly wide range of barriers we as a community face. Some shared perspectives as patients and others shared stories as disabled healthcare workers, providing a robust conversation. The discussion also delved into the systems that contribute to healthcare bias. The group agreed that poor physician training and cultural ableism were the largest. If the system of training physicians included better training and awareness on disability needs and systemic ableism were deliberately dismantled, real healthcare equity could be achieved. And that is the mission our panelists share.

The evening ended with a brief Q&A session opportunity for our attendees to ask panelists targeted questions and receive personalized feedback.

Watch a replay of the event below and continue the conversation in our online community.