Disability Education Network (DEN)

What is the Disability Education Network?

The Disability Education Network (DEN) is a resource designed to help medical educators integrate disability education into medical curricula. It provides tools for both pre-clinical and clinical stages of training, emphasizing the skills and knowledge necessary for providing care to patients with disabilities. Resources include interactive modules, clinical cases, small group activities, and journal club article recommendations.

The toolkit also offers practical strategies for improving healthcare access for individuals with disabilities and resources for collaborators developing educational tools.

Since its inception in 2017 at SUNY Upstate Medical University, the DEN has seen extensive growth in the tools and information available to collaborators. Under the leadership of Dr. Margaret Turk, the Disability Health Research Team at SUNY Upstate and its partners have designed tools that can be easily integrated into the medical school curriculum, which are academically appropriate, contain accurate information about disability, emphasize medical knowledge and skills, and represent people with disability in a respectful and inclusive way. The tools of the DEN have undergone independent review to ensure resources are up-to-date, accurate, and meet the needs of target audiences and systematic evaluation to assess the DEN’s core outcome objectives.

The AAP has been a collaborating partner in the review of DEN resources and is now proud to offer the DEN on the AAP’s virtual campus. Check the AAP’s DEN resource library for exciting updates to come!

Active Learning Tools

Activities that allow educators to incorporate disability content into existing courses and journal clubs at different points in the curriculum.

• Interactive Modules
• Clinical Cases
• Small Group Activities
• Journal Club Article Recommendations

Continuing Education

Stand-alone web-based modules, which can be integrated into online courses, existing in-person courses, or self-directed learning.

• Practical Recommendations for Enhancing the Care of Patients with Disability
• Healthcare Access for Persons with Disabilities

Resources for Collaborators

Information to support collaborators in designing educational tools that fit the framework of the Disability Education Network.

• Introduction to the Disability Integration Toolkit
• Disability Integration Toolkit Technical Guide
• Integrating Disability into Medical School Curriculum: Practical Strategies & Resources

Additional Resources

Links to web-based resources to help providers meet the needs of patients with disability.

• The Ohio State University Nisonger Center
• AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion

More Information

Submit addition tools or resources
For additional resources, visit our Virtual Campus