Increasing Access to Quality Healthcare for People with Disabilities

Join us for a virtual public forum to connect with our team. Learn more about the development of the learning modules, ways to integrate the modules into existing curriculum for healthcare students and trainees, and the content covered in each module. Our Community Advisory Board of patients and caregivers with lived experience of disability in co-creating the modules will be present to answer questions.

Sessions are designed for healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, medical educators, dentists, and clinical staff, and are open to the community.

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Introduction

Welcome! This site is designed for healthcare professionals across the state of Pennsylvania to increase knowledge on providing quality health care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Health care providers, community members, caregivers, and family members are invited to utilize these resources for their personal knowledge and to invite collaborative conversations with their healthcare providers.

Learners are encouraged to follow the four-module series to increase their knowledge and care for patients with IDD. Each piece in the series offers an interactive learning module, reflection opportunities, knowledge checks, and opportunities to engage with references and additional resources tailored to each lesson.

For further interaction and engagement with these topics, a live discussion board is open for questions. This is monitored by a member of the Jefferson team where questions will be answered within one week.

About the project:

This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC). Dr. Mary Stephens and Karin Roseman, LCSW from the Jefferson FAB (For Adolescents and Beyond) Center for Complex Care were recipients of a grant from PADDC to fund their project: Increasing Access to Quality Healthcare for People with Disabilities: A Co-Designed Educational Curriculum for Family Medicine Residents.

The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $3,025,222.00 with 100% funding by ACL/HHS. Council efforts are those of the grantee and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

To support the planning and design of the following modules and learning opportunities, we have hired individuals with lived experience with disabilities and caregivers as consultants. We would like to thank Aronya Waller, Cheryl Trexler, Christina Grubelic, Corey and Marie Beattie, Dan Lauria, George Lees, Jackie Shapiro Fishbein, Janine Blythe, Joan and John Thomas, John Griffith, Kirah Burgess-Goard, Kristan Scofield, Linda Turner, Mary Griffith, Mia Andrilla, Namiyah and Nicole Ruley-Minus, Rachel Fishbein, Rebecca Bradbeer, Roc and Donna, Shannon Taylor Ward, Stephanie Andrilla, Steven Seibert, Suzy Gladstone, Thomas Butts, Trish Lauria, Victoria Patterson, Victori Silvestri, Zach Scofield, and Zachary Trexler for their contributions.

Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC)

Copyright © 2025 Thomas Jefferson University and Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. Permission to reprint, copy and distribute this work is granted provided that it is reproduced as a whole, distributed at no more than actual cost, and displays this copyright notice. Any other reproduction is strictly prohibited.