The two main reasons for not requesting needed accommodation"Program access, or simply having the ability to access accommodations should they need them, improves medical trainees with disabilities performance in relation to testing and patient care. It alsoMeeks advocated for"standardization in support for students with disabilities in medical education."
"One school could have an incredible specialized disability support services with a qualified disability resource professional running the office, while another school does not have a specialized disability support service at all."The team notes that addressing the second common barrier to attaining needed disability accommodations and fear of stigma or bias requires a continued culture shift in medicine.
This work is bolstered by the matriculation of individuals that Meeks calls the post Americans with Disabilities Act generation into medical"This generation has a lot of disability pride. They've had accommodations their entire lives, they know the law, they know their rights and they're not ashamed of being disabled," said Meeks.As this long term study continues, the research team plans to assess how other identities interact with the disability identity.