federal financial assistance and/or funding generally are respon- sible for providing auxiliary aids or other service accommoda- tions at no cost to the patient. To learn more, see MedPro’s Risk Q&A: Interpreters and Auxiliary Aids.³


• Determine whether your practice has the appropriate medi- cal equipment (e.g., accessible exam tables, chairs, scales and lifts) and staff training (e.g., safe patient handling and transfer- ring techniques) to provide care for patients who have mobility disabilities. Look into whether tax credits or special programs are available to help purchase equipment or renovate spaces for improved accessibility.


• Be aware of how patients’ disabilities might affect their needs both in the practice and beyond. For example, patients who have visual impairments might require forms and patient education materials in large type, Braille, or an audio format.


• Try to view every patient as a unique individual and be aware that the population of people who have disabilities is diverse. Narrowly focusing on a patient’s disability can result in stereo- typing and depersonalization.


• Learn about and use language that is considered disability cultur- ally competent, such as first-person wording (e.g., “people who have disabilities” rather than “disabled people” or “people who have schizophrenia” rather than “schizophrenics”).


• Avoid terms that are considered archaic, unacceptable, con- descending, or insulting (e.g., abnormal, mentally retarded, crippled, handicapped, handi-capable, challenged, senile, etc.) and educate others in your organization about the implications of using these terms. For more information, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Communicating With and About People with Disabilities⁴ webpage.


• Work with patients who have disabilities to understand their preferred terminology and remember that preferences may differ among individuals. “The most essential guideline for disabil- ity language is to use whatever words each individual disabled person prefers.”⁵


• Whenever possible, speak directly to patients and engage them in discussions and decisions about their healthcare. Bypassing patients and communicating directly with caregivers can further reinforce negative stereotypes about patients who have disabili- ties and alienate them from taking active roles in their care.


• Learn about methods that can help facilitate communication with people who have intellectual disabilities or serious men- tal illnesses and support them in making decisions about their care. “A patient’s right of self-determination makes it critical to communicate with the patient and not assume that physicians can perform procedures without proper communication and informed consent.”⁶


• Ask patients about what they perceive as barriers to their care and what works best for them in the care setting. Request that they provide feedback on how the practice can do better in the future. Review any feedback with staff to determine strategies for further improving cultural competence.


• Consider how various technologies can assist patients who have disabilities. For example, telehealth visits might increase access


ISSUE 4 | WINTER 2025 | focus 23


to care for patients who have mobility issues. Audio recordings, video recordings, closed captioning, texting, and website acces- sibility also can help patients access and understand important health information.⁷


Although the above strategies are not all-inclusive, they offer provid- er-level interventions that can support a framework for building a culturally competent healthcare environment. Although much work remains in addressing health disparities for patients who have dis- abilities, taking proactive steps to build an inclusive culture can help improve access to and quality of care for this patient population.


To learn more about cultural competence for a range of special popu- lations, see MedPro’s Risk Resources: Health Literacy and Cultural Competence.⁸


This document does not constitute legal or medical advice and should not be construed as rules or establishing a standard of care. Because the facts applicable to your situation may vary, or the laws applicable in your jurisdiction may differ, please contact your attorney or other professional advisors if you have any questions related to your legal or medical obligations or rights, state or federal laws, contract interpretation, or other legal questions. MedPro Group is the marketing name used to refer to the insurance operations of The Medical Protective Company, Princeton Insurance Company, PLICO, Inc. and MedPro RRG Risk Retention Group. All insurance products are administered by MedPro Group and underwritten by these and other Berkshire Hathaway affiliates, including Wellfleet Insurance Company, Wellfleet New York Insurance Company and National Fire & Marine Insurance Company. Product availability is based upon business and/or regulatory approval and may differ among companies. © MedPro Group Inc. All Rights Reserved. MedPro is the MDA endorsed malpractice provider through MDIS.


REFERENCES


1. Stone, E. M., Bonsignore, S., Crystal, S., & Samples, H. (2025). Disabled patients’ experiences of healthcare services in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Health Services Research, 60(4), e14598. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1475- 6773.14598


2. Lagu, T., Haywood, C., Reimold, K., DeJong, C., Walker Sterling, R., & Iezzoni, L. I. (2022). ‘I am not the doctor for you’: Physicians’ attitudes about caring for people with disabilities. Health Affairs, 41(10), 1387–1395. doi: https://doi.org/10.1377/ hlthaff.2022.00475


3. Risk Q&A: Interpreters and Auxiliary Aids, https://www.medpro.com/ documents/10502/3019648/Q_A_Interpreters.pdf


4. Communicating With and About People with Disabilities, https://www.cdc.gov/ disability-and-health/articles-documents/communicating-with-and-about-people- with-disabilities.html


5. Pulrang, A. (2020, September 30). Here are some dos and don’ts of disability language. Forbes. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/andrewpulrang/2020/09/30/here-are- some-dos-and-donts-of-disability-language/


6. Agaronnik, N., Campbell, E. G., Ressalam, J., & Iezzoni, L. I. (2019). Exploring issues relating to disability cultural competence among practicing physicians. Disability and Health Journal, 12(3), 403–410. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.01.010


7. Lagu, et al., ‘I am not the doctor for you’: Physicians attitudes about caring for people with disabilities; Agaronnik, et al., Exploring issues relating to disability cultural competence among practicing physicians; National Public Radio. (2022, Novem- ber 1). How some doctors discriminate against patients with disabilities. All Things Considered. Retrieved from www.npr.org/2022/11/01/1133375224/how-some- doctors-discriminate-against-patients-with-disabilities; Sunflower Health Plan. (2018). Cultural competency and disability awareness. Retrieved from https://share.google/ rKht2bFQDNKIpSJ3B; Physicians for a Healthy California. (2021, June 17). How to provide culturally competent care for patients with disabilities. Retrieved from www. phcdocs.org/Portals/0/assets/docs/Cultural%20Series_Disabilities_PHC.pdf; Rah- man, L. (n.d.). Disability language guide. Stanford University. Retrieved from https:// disability.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj26391/files/media/file/disability-language- guide-stanford_1.pdf


8. Risk Resources: Health Literacy and Cultural Competence, https://www.medpro. com/documents/10502/2824311/Risk+Resources_Health+Literacy+and+Cultural+Co mpetency_MedPro+Group.pdf


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