Note: This event is being hosted by the The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities is not affiliated with the U-M CDHW. 

A large body of research suggests that ableism (discrimination in favor of able-bodied people or the assumption that a “normal” body and mind is better than an abnormal one) is a central and deeply entrenched issue within medical knowledge and practice, leading to disproportionately low quality and equity of care for disabled patients. However, attempts to concretely address this problem run into numerous obstacles. Building upon work across philosophy of disability and disability studies, we will discuss the causes of disability health disparities and the concrete steps that medical practitioners, bioethicists, and public health professionals can take to improve quality and equity of care for disabled patients.