Equity & Access is a Duquesne University School of Nursing educational program developed by Dr. Becky Kronk and Dr. Alison Colbert. We seek to educate nurses and other healthcare providers about some of the unique knowledge and skills we need to provide high quality care for individuals with disabilities.
Nursing students are expected leave school with a solid foundation on how to care for people with disabilities, along with an understanding of how people with disabilities navigate an increasingly complex healthcare environment. However, very few nursing programs have explicit coursework and learning objectives in this area that are evidence-based and recognize disability as a multidimensional construct. Moreover, research suggests that the relationship between healthcare providers and people with disabilities is often sub-optimal, and that attitudes of discrimination and disempowerment predominate. In order to make progress in preparing the nurses of tomorrow, we must implement effective teaching pedagogies today that can be tested, refined, and replicated. Nursing education at all levels has a recognized gap in evidence-based teaching strategies developed to improve care for people with disabilities.The purpose of this project is to explore, develop, and evaluate various approaches to disability education in nursing and other healthcare professions.
Our goal with this site, and the other work from Equity & Access, is to provide a forum for healthcare providers to learn more about the special knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to provide high quality care for people with disabilities. We also aim to connect professionals with the activists, providers, and writers who are working tirelessly for accessibility for all, in all settings.