New Project: Combating Ableism in health care

PCPE is pleased to announce that we have been awarded funding from the Cedar Lodge Endowment for a project to tackle ableism in health care by amplifying the voices of people with disabilities in health professional education. The purpose of this project is to identify and extend opportunities for people recovering from head and other physical injuries, as well as other types of disability, to contribute authentically to the way that health professional students at UBC learn about disability.

Two summer students, Yukta Bhandari and Martina Francisco, have been carrying out an environmental scan of courses across UBC Vancouver and Okanagan campuses that include the topic of disability. They have identified 76 faculty to survey from diverse disciplines, including health sciences, sociology, engineering, linguistics and social work. Next, we will bring together faculty, students, and people recovering from head and other physical injuries, as well as other types of disability, to co-develop learning resources for students.

We are committed to fostering an accessible healthcare system through these efforts. The new relationships and resources developed through this project will enhance our ability to involve people with lived experience of a range of disabilities in health professional education and meet the increasing demand for patient and public engagement at UBC. Including people with disabilities in sessions that are not focused on teaching about disability but, for example, about general topics such as communication, patient-centred care, or shared decision-making is an important way to combat stereotyping and discrimination. Stay tuned!

Funded by the Vancouver Foundation, the Cedar Lodge Endowment supports projects in the area of residential rehabilitation, assessment, teaching and research for persons recovering from head and other physical injuries.