Stanford Conference on Disability in Healthcare and Medicine | MSDCI and SMADIE
Stanford Conference on Disability in Healthcare and Medicine | MSDCI and SMADIE
Photo credit: Rick Giudotti
Join us for the Seventh Annual Conference on Disability in Healthcare and Medicine on Saturday, April 25, 2026, via livestream!
This virtual conference aims to support students and healthcare providers with disabilities, training healthcare providers to better care for patients with disabilities, and provide research into the intersection of providers and patients with disabilities.
This conference will be a deep learning opportunity for medical students, residents and fellows, medical doctors, nursing students and nurses, PA students and PA’s, hospital administration, and additional interested healthcare providers and allies.
Sincerely,
Pete Poullos, MD and Ken Sutha, MD, PhD
Co-Chairs
8:15 am – 8:50 am
Getting State Legislation Proposed is Easier Than You Think
National Council on Disability Updates
Moderator: Eric Harris
Laurel Maury, MFA, MS
Amged M. Soliman, Esq.
8:50 am – 9:40 am
Challenging Ableism in Medicine: Implementing Intersectional Self-Assessment Tools for Systemic Change
Diabetes, LGBTQ Identity, and Healthcare Experiences and Struggles: Lessons from a mixed-methods ethnographic study
Moderator: Ken Sutha, MD, PhD
Leah Smith, MPA
Athena Sofides, MESc
Allyson Hughes, PhD, MA
9:40 am – 9:50 am
AM Break
9:50 am – 10:45 am
Bridging the Gap Between a Deficit-Based Systems Healthcare System and the Neurodiversity Movement: Novel Strategies for Changing People’s Minds about Neurodivergent Clinicians
Disability culture meets health professions culture: Are health professions culturally safe for students and clinicians with disabilities?
Reimagining toward Anti-ableist Occupational Therapy
Epistemic Justice in Action: Learning from Disabled Healthcare Students and Professionals
Moderator: Tal Jarus, PhD, FCAOT, Reg. OT
Stacy Greeter, MD
Laura Bulk, PhD, OT
Laura Bulk, PhD, OT
Natasha Robillard, MSc, OT
Tal Jarus, PhD, FCAOT, Reg. OT
Yael Mayer, PhD
Tal Jarus, PhD, FCAOT, Reg. OT
Laura Bulk, PhD, OT
10:45 am – 11:10 am
Moderator: Becky Curran, BS
Rishika Kartik
11:10 am – 11:50 am
Lunch
11:50 am – 12:55 pm
Peer Power: Reframing Disability and Chronic Illness in Medical Education through Story, Data, and Collective Action
Reimagining Disability Inclusion in Healthcare: The Development, Implementation, and Outcomes of a Multi-Level, Dyad-Centered Disability Mentorship Program for Current and Future Health Professionals
Building Disability Inclusion in Healthcare: The Journey of the OhioHealth DAWN BRG
Moderator: Ram Rao, MD, PhD
Dahlia Chavez, BS
Jacob Nguyen, MSII
Kiki Schmalfuss, BS
Kara M. Coates, MHA
12:55 pm – 1:30 pm
Helping Learners with Psychological Disabilities Thrive on Clinical Rotations
Patching the Pipeline: Universal Design for Learning to End the Exclusion of Neurological or Chronic Disabilities in Laboratory Environments
Moderator: Claire Rushin, MD
Hermione Warczak, MD, MPH, MSEd, FAAP
Kristen Blomquist-Liu, COTA
1:30 pm – 1:45 pm
PM Break
1:45 pm – 2:40 pm
How Provider Perceptions of Disability Shape Clinical Decision-Making: A Case-Based Study of Medical Students, Residents, and Faculty
Exposing Undergraduate Medical Learners to Caring for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients: Review of a Lecture-Driven Peer Teaching Curriculum and Workshop
Adaptive Success in Action: Using Simulation to Transform Disability Education in Healthcare
Cultivating Compassion, Communication, and Client Centered Care through Inclusive Interprofessional Education (IPE)
Moderator: Lucia McGeehan, PhD
Christine Skovira, MD Candidate
Arezo Ahmadi, BS
Andrea Lendaris, MD, MS
Jess Salyers, OTD, R/L, MS
2:40 pm – 3:05 pm
Moderator: Suchita Rastogi, PhD
Zoey Martin-Lockhart, MA, PhD, and MSc Candidate
We strive to make this conference as accessible as possible. We will be providing presentation materials prior to the event. During the event, we will provide ASL interpretation and live closed captioning. Please fill out any additional accessibility needs on your registration form.
CME Information coming soon.
