ADHCE Signature Resource
A framework for strengthening disability education across the health professions.
The Core Competencies establish foundational disability-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes for health care education and support the preparation of health professionals to provide quality, patient-centered care to people with disabilities.
Official Competency Document
Access the complete Core Competencies on Disability for Health Care Education, including the competency statements and supporting framework.
The Core Competencies on Disability for Health Care Education establish baseline expertise for providing quality care to patients with disabilities.
The Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education (ADHCE) partnered with the Ohio Disability and Health Program at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center to establish consensus on the competencies through an iterative, structured feedback process involving people with disabilities, disability experts, health educators, and health care providers.
The competencies are intended to provide broad disability standards for health care education. Following principles of patient-centered care, people with disabilities should be included as central members of the health care team as early and completely as possible.
People with disabilities, disability experts, health educators, and health care providers contributed to the consensus process.
The competencies provide broad standards that can be incorporated into health professions education.
The framework can inform lectures, readings, patient experiences, and other disability-related educational activities.
The Ohio State University Nisonger Center provides additional information about the development and implementation of the competencies and the collaborative process used to establish consensus.
Learn about development of the Core Competencies at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center
The ADHCE Core Competencies have informed national discussions about disability education, health equity, and the preparation of health professionals.
Graduate Medical Education
In 2021, the National Council on Disability (NCD) urged the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to require disability cultural competency training in accredited residency and fellowship programs.
NCD specifically recommended incorporating the Core Competencies on Disability for Health Care Education developed by ADHCE and its partners into disability competency training.
Health Equity Policy
The ADHCE Core Competencies were incorporated into the National Council on Disability's policy framework addressing health disparities experienced by people with disabilities.
The framework addresses areas including:
Read the NCD Framework to End Health Disparities for People with Disabilities (PDF)
Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education. (2019). Core competencies on disability for health care education. Peapack, NJ: Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education. Access the Core Competencies
Havercamp, S. M., Barnhart, W. R., Robinson, A. C., & Smith, C. N. W. (2021). What should we teach about disability? National consensus on disability competencies for health care education. Disability and Health Journal, 14(2), 100989. Read the original article
Explore additional resources for disability-inclusive health professions education.
About the AllianceThe Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education, Inc. (ADHCE), is a '501(c)(3) Public Charity' organization of healthcare educators and professionals who are working to integrate disability-related content and experiences into healthcare education and training programs. |
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