AVMA spotlights universal design in Journey for Teams 3.0: full analysis

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AVMA is using its My Veterinary Life podcast and Journey for Teams platform to spotlight universal design as a practical workplace issue for veterinary teams, not just a facilities or compliance topic. The latest example is a preview episode featuring Dr. Rosemarie Rossetti, an expert in disability inclusion, accessibility, and universal design, tied to the new Journey for Teams 3.0 THRIVE Sessions module, “Championing Universal Design.” AVMA says the THRIVE series is designed to help veterinary workplaces strengthen culture, belonging, and performance through short, case-based learning tools. (journeyforteams.org)

That marks an evolution for Journey for Teams. When AVMA highlighted the program’s expansion in 2023, it described a growing library of short DEI-focused modules intended to help practices build more welcoming workplaces, with accessibility already identified as a key topic area. The 3.0 THRIVE Sessions appear to move that work further upstream, from awareness-building to examining “systemic disruptors” and the day-to-day behaviors and structures that shape workplace culture. In a separate April 30, 2026, podcast episode, AVMA’s Dr. Latonia Craig described THRIVE Sessions as the latest installment of Journey for Teams, focused on transforming workplace culture in veterinary medicine and helping teams move beyond awareness. (avma.org)

On the THRIVE Sessions page, AVMA frames the Rossetti module around “unintentional barriers” affecting people with visible, non-visible, temporary, or chronic conditions. Those barriers, it says, can show up in ordinary routines, communication patterns, workflow expectations, and physical environments. The stated goal is to introduce universal design approaches that support collaboration and belonging “without requiring personal disclosure or singling anyone out.” That framing is notable for veterinary workplaces, where long shifts, fixed scheduling, exam-room layouts, treatment-area ergonomics, software design, and communication habits can all influence whether team members can participate fully. (journeyforteams.org)

Rossetti brings established credibility from outside veterinary medicine. In archived profiles and interviews, she’s described as an internationally known speaker, trainer, and consultant whose work on universal design grew out of her own experience after a 1998 injury left her paralyzed from the waist down. She and her husband later developed the Universal Design Living Laboratory, a widely cited demonstration home built around accessibility principles. While that background comes from broader disability inclusion work rather than veterinary practice specifically, it helps explain why AVMA is positioning her as a guide for systems-level thinking rather than narrow accommodation advice. (homeandplaceproject.com)

There’s also a clear throughline from AVMA’s earlier accessibility content. Previous Journey for Teams materials on accessibility in the workplace emphasized that universal design aims to create environments, services, and systems usable by people with diverse abilities, and reminded teams that the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. Those materials encouraged practices to assess workplace barriers, review website accessibility, and rethink language and assumptions. In parallel, AVMA reporting on accessible veterinary spaces has underscored that accessibility affects not only veterinary professionals, but also clients and pet parents with disabilities seeking care. (journeyforteams.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the practical takeaway is that accessibility is increasingly being treated as a culture, workflow, and retention issue, not just a building-code issue. Universal design can influence hiring, onboarding, scheduling, communication, team meetings, workstation setup, digital access, and client-facing experiences. In a profession still grappling with burnout, staffing pressure, and retention challenges, tools that reduce friction for employees without forcing them to self-identify may be more usable than one-off accommodations alone. AVMA itself says the THRIVE Sessions are intended to support improved retention, team performance, and operational excellence, suggesting the business case is now being stated alongside the inclusion case. (journeyforteams.org)

Expert reaction specific to this Rossetti preview appears limited so far, but AVMA has consistently positioned Journey for Teams as a practical, team-based intervention rather than a symbolic initiative. Earlier feedback highlighted by AVMA praised the program’s short format and discussion-driven design, and the THRIVE materials continue that approach with videos and workbooks meant for individual or team use. That may matter for adoption: busy hospitals are more likely to engage with brief, structured tools than with abstract policy statements. This is an inference based on AVMA’s program design and prior participant comments, rather than a direct new statement about the Rossetti module itself. (avma.org)

What to watch: The next signal will be whether AVMA and participating practices translate these concepts into measurable operational changes, such as accessibility audits, revised workflows, more inclusive digital tools, or updated onboarding and management practices, and whether THRIVE’s workbook-driven format gains traction across hospitals and teams in 2026. (journeyforteams.org)