FISA grantees share lessons, progress, and continued commitment to improving healthcare access for people with disabilities
For many people with disabilities, accessing healthcare still means navigating physical barriers, communication gaps, provider bias, and systems that were not designed with them in mind. As the ADA turns 36 later this month, its promise remains urgent, especially in healthcare settings where people with disabilities continue to report widespread barriers and discrimination.
From Research to Action
In 2024, FISA Foundation launched the Access to Healthcare Initiative to better understand these barriers and center the experiences of people with disabilities. As part of the initiative, FISA commissioned the report A Far Cry From Fair: Health-care Access for People with Disabilities, a video series that uplifts the voices and experiences of people with disabilities, and offers webinars that highlight experts in the field.
Grantees Advance Solutions
As part of this initiative, FISA also awarded nearly $175,000 in grants to organizations dedicated to improving access to healthcare for people with disabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania. These grants supported various strategies, including training healthcare workers, expanding access to dental care, educating and empowering people with disabilities on their healthcare rights, and advocating to preserve Medicaid.
Lessons from the Grantee Gathering
One year after awarding these grants, FISA organized a convening of these organizations to celebrate their progress, share lessons learned, and foster ongoing collaboration. A recurring theme throughout the gathering was that people with disabilities must be partners in efforts to improve healthcare. Multiple projects compensated people with disabilities for sharing their expertise, encouraged healthcare organizations to listen more deeply to patient experiences, and offered opportunities for those with lived experience to influence policies, training, and services.
“What stood out at the convening was the collaborative spirit in the room,” said FISA’s Senior Program Officer, Shani Lasin. “Grantees were not just reporting on their own projects — they were sharing tools, asking questions, identifying connections, and helping one another imagine what accessible healthcare can look like across southwestern Pennsylvania.”
Building on the Momentum
Although the grants were relatively modest in size, the learning exchange showed how strategic investments can spark broader change. Grantees described projects that are continuing beyond the grant period. Just as important, the convening created new connections among healthcare providers, advocates, researchers, and community organizations who share a commitment to accessible healthcare.
Together, these efforts show that accessible healthcare is not achieved through a single grant, program, or policy change. It is built through sustained collaboration, the leadership of people with disabilities, and a shared commitment to removing barriers across every part of the healthcare system.
