By Tammy Coutts (MEDITECH), Chair, and Michael Blackman, MD, MBA (Greenway Health), Vice Chair, EHR Association SDOH and Health Equity Workgroup
Nearly a quarter of the U.S. population lives with a reported disability. And because many choose not to disclose their experiences, or face only temporary or situational challenges, that number is likely higher. The reality is, disability touches almost all of our lives at one point or another, which is why accessible EHR and patient portal design matters.
As the EHR Association closes out its observation of National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2026, themed “Celebrating Value and Talent,” we honor the contributions of talented healthcare professionals, reflect on the journey toward inclusion, and recognize the role EHR developers play in advancing social determinants of health (SDOH) and health equity by prioritizing accessibility in digital health tools.
Reinforcing our commitment to accessible solutions for all users, EHRA’s SDOH & Health Equity Workgroup has published the Mobile Accessibility Checklist, which shares real-world scenarios tailored specifically to mobile device users and offers an actionable checklist for supporting healthcare professionals using mobile products.
Reinforcing our commitment to accessible solutions for all users, EHRA’s SDOH & Health Equity Workgroup has published the Mobile Accessibility Checklist, a supplement to its Accessibility Checklist that shares real-world scenarios tailored specifically to mobile device users. It also offers an actionable checklist for supporting healthcare professionals using mobile products.
Why accessible EHRs matter
Treating accessibility as a core component of SDOH helps healthcare technology serve both providers and the communities they care for. By embedding inclusive design into healthcare technology workflows, developers remove barriers that can affect patient care by hindering clinicians and other healthcare professionals with disabilities from doing their jobs effectively. It also supports patients and family members with diverse needs.
Sassy Outwater-Wright, a long-time accessibility champion, digital accessibility expert, and critical care clinician who passed away in 2025, summarized it best: “When we are accessible, then every clinician can deliver services to their patients. When we are not accessible, then we perpetuate the lack of disabled representation.”
Accessible software and assistive tools bridge the digital divide, enabling disabled healthcare professionals to thrive in the workforce and deliver exceptional patient care.
Accessible software and assistive tools bridge the digital divide, enabling disabled healthcare professionals to thrive in the workforce and deliver exceptional patient care. They support the value these professionals bring to healthcare and demonstrate the importance of normalizing and increasing the visibility of providers with disabilities. This is seen by patients, including Grayson Jackson – a long-time EHR developer – who was learning to navigate life after a diving accident left him both unable to walk and with partial function of his right hand.
One of Grayson’s physicians was a paraplegic whose disability did not interfere with his ability to care for patients. “As someone coping with the prognosis of being confined to a wheelchair and fighting with some ‘my life is over’ feelings, it was definitely encouraging to see this guy, who is also in a wheelchair, zipping in and out of patient rooms while making his daily rounds. He always had a smile on his face and beamed with confidence,” he said.
Resources for developers
In addition to EHRA’s Personal Library and Accessibility Checklist, other resources for the health IT developer community include:
- Docs with Disabilities Initiative (DWDI), a nonprofit dedicated to removing systemic barriers and increasing representation and inclusion for disabled healthcare professionals.
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which develops standards and guidelines to help everyone build and enjoy a web based on the principles of accessibility, internationalization, privacy, and security, including tools and accessibility tutorials specifically for developers.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month reminds us that true progress in healthcare relies on embracing every individual’s diverse talents and perspectives. When we commit to delivering accessible digital healthcare tools and follow through, we ensure clinicians, other healthcare professionals, and the patients they care for are seen, supported, and empowered.
