he creation of the Accessibility Theme Lead role in 2023 established as a partnership between faculty lead Dr. Audrey Yap and Patient Partner Janet Rodriguez, a Disability Justice Educator.
U of T is the only Canadian undergraduate medical program with dedicated Accessibility Theme Co‑Leads. Together, they review the MD curriculum and apply an anti‑ableist and intersectional lens to strengthen accessibility in patient‑centered education.
Key efforts include revising accessible communication skills and introducing the Social Model approach. They collaborate with learners, other theme leads, as well as, with national leaders and groups that advocate for disability inclusion in Medical Education. The team has delivered faculty development sessions, contributed to national conferences, and strengthened interdisciplinary networks, positioning U of T as a leader in accessibility-focused medical education.
The Accessibility Theme Co-Leads are currently collaborating with national EDIIA (Equity, Diversity, Indigeneity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) leaders in Canada to collaboratively drive curricular change in the Undergraduate MD Program’s across Canada. The hope is to collaboratively disseminate a national curriculum on Anti-ableism and Accessibility through collaboration with the Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities. The modules are approximately 80% completed.
