Dr. Megan Morris and her team at NYU Langone Health are working on several studies to improve the quality of health and healthcare services for people with disabilities. Specifically, Dr. Morris’s lab seeks to understand and address both structural and interpersonal ableism that affects the care received by this population.

To achieve this, Dr. Morris has developed a comprehensive research program focused on: (a) creating and implementing systematic methods for documenting patients’ disability status and accommodation needs in the Electronic Health Record; (b) improving communication and interactions between healthcare teams and people with disabilities through educational and clinical interventions; and (c) evaluating the implementation and effects of disability healthcare policies on the provision of accessible healthcare.

Active Projects

Implementation of Communication Disability Collection and Accommodations in Primary Care Settings (DECA): This project aims to support primary care clinics with implementation of: (1) systematically documenting patients’ communication disabilities in the Electronic Health Record and (2) providing necessary disability communication accommodations. (Funder: NIH – R01DC020188)
Achieving Healthcare Equity for Blindness and Low Vision (AAABLE): This study seeks to understand the barriers that people who are blind or have low vision experience when accessing healthcare. This will inform the creation of a patient navigation intervention intended to improve healthcare access for this population. (Funder: NIH – R01EY036667)
ACCESSIBLE: This study seeks to understand the state of disability accessibility in federally qualified health centers as well as how to engage diverse communities in disability accessibility research. (Funder: NIDILRR – 90IFRE0085)
Social Needs Screening Among Adults with Disabilities (Dr. Jen Oshita): This study aims to measure the social needs (food, housing, and transportation needs) of people with disabilities and rates of missing responses to social needs screening questions by disability type. The project also seeks to understand people with disabilities’ experiences responding to social needs screening questions and barriers to completing them. (Funder: NIDILRR – 90SFGE0076)

Completed Projects

Improving Communication and Healthcare Outcomes for Patients with Communication Disabilities: The INTERACT Trial. In this study, the research team compared two programs to improve communication between patients with communication disabilities and their primary care providers.

Collaborate with the Morris Lab

Are you a researcher, health system, clinic, provider, or other disability advocate interested in disability accessibility research?

CONTACT DR. MORRIS