The Power of Nutrition Podcast · Abbott Nutrition Health Institute

Beyond the Ramp: Digital Accessibility

·39 min·2 clips

More than one in four U.S. adults has a disability, and 46% of people 75 and older do too.

The episode begins with a simple lived example: a neighborhood coffee shop that feels welcoming at the counter but less thoughtful on its mobile app. That contrast sets up the main point. Good intentions do not guarantee usable digital access. The host brings in Dr. Susie Baxter and Elena Morales to unpack why that matters in healthcare. They frame accessibility as a moral imperative, a legal requirement, and a business opportunity. The discussion keeps digital access squarely inside patient-centered care. Telehealth has quickly changed care delivery, alongside app-based online charts, healthcare portals, and digital kiosks in healthcare facilities. Those tools now create another care environment where access matters. If that environment is not accessible, care gets harder to use and less complete for the people who depend on it. The guests explain that accessibility helps people with disabilities participate more fully. It also helps patients who cannot easily leave home because of transportation barriers or low energy. Blind and low-vision patients are named as a group who can be shut out by print-first systems. Patients with complex medical needs are another important example, since they may need digital tools to organize appointments and medical information. Accessible systems improve autonomy and convenience. They also help reduce barriers and support better health outcomes. The conversation keeps returning to a plain idea: disability justice belongs in everyday healthcare design. By the end, the case is clear. Digital healthcare should work for the people who depend on it.

As heard by us

A clear case for treating accessible design as basic care, not polish.

Digital accessibility is treated here as part of care, not a nice-to-have. The opening cafe story does the heavy lifting: friendly service in person, then an app that fights the user with tiny type, weak contrast, endless scrolling, and too many taps before the final action.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a clear reason accessibility belongs in patient-centered digital healthcare.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Power of Nutrition Podcast