U-M CDHW Co-Director Michael McKee, MD, MPH, Participates in Disability-Focused Panel at 2023 Michigan Civil Rights Summit
Panelists from the “Disability and Health” session reviewed issues related to accessible transportation, ADA standards, technology gaps, and other challenges that impact people with disabilities and create inequity in health outcomes.
Held on June 27, 2023, the Michigan Civil Rights Summit featured the theme of “The Impact of Discrimination on Health.” U M CDHW Co-Director Michael McKee, MD, MPH, along with five other panelists, discussed a variety of topics as part of an afternoon breakout session entitled “Disability and Health.” See below for a recording of the session or go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyjyO22UQx8
Key Points and Action Steps*
*From the 2023 Civil Rights Summit Recap newsletter
- Many medical professionals never received training or instruction related to serving people with disabilities, so they don’t understand their responsibilities, cultural competency, or the tools available. This must change.
- We need people with disabilities in the room when decisions are made about policies and practices. A wide variety of choices from the width of sidewalks and doorways to data collection can result in barriers or disparate impacts for people with disabilities. “Nothing about us, without us.”
- We need better long-term partnerships between health care centers, medical schools, and advocates/service agencies for people with disabilities.
Session Panelists
- Andrés J. Gallegos, Esq., Disability Rights Attorney and Advocate, Partner of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd.
- Max Hornick, Community Education Specialist, Disability Network Southwest Michigan
- Michelle Roberts, Executive Director, Disability Rights Michigan
- Jamie Junior, Advocacy and Community Education Coordinator, Disability Network Wayne County Detroit
- Michael McKee, Associate Professor, University of Michigan Medical School
- Tyra Khan, Disability Rights and Compliance Division Director, Michigan Department of Civil Rights
About the Michigan Civil Rights Summit
The Michigan Civil Rights Summit was held on June 27, 2023, in Novi, Michigan. The overall theme of this year’s summit was “The Impact of Discrimination on Health.” Attendees included educators, public servants, and civil rights advocates. Breakout sessions focused on issues related to education and health, environmental justice and health, social determinants of health, LGBTQ+ and health, and the COVID-19 Racial Disparities Taskforce. Recordings of these sessions as well as the plenary sessions can be viewed online by going to the MDCR’s Summit playlist on YouTube.
Michigan Department of Civil Rights
The Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) is charged with investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination and working to prevent discrimination through educational programs that promote voluntary compliance with civil rights laws. The MDCR also provides training and services to government agencies, businesses, schools, and organizations on diversity initiatives, fair housing, and equal employment law. The MDCR is the operational arm of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (MCRC). Click here to learn more about MDCR and MCRC.