Equal Access for Students with Disabilities: The Guide for Health Science and Professional Education

Equal Access for Students with Disabilities: The Guide for Health Science and Professional Education 

The Guide for Health Science and Professional Education

EDITORS
Lisa M. Meeks PhD
Neera R. Jain MS, CRC
Elisa Laird JD

Now in its second edition, this book on disability inclusion in the health sciences remains the most comprehensive, critically and legally informed guidance available to health science programs. Grounded in the ADA, case law, and OCR determinations, this seminal text delivers information that is translatable to daily practice. The second edition focuses on disability as a welcome form of diversity, with concomitant changes to language and approach that promote disability inclusion.

New chapters and updates on topics including technical standards; a new appendix to guide faculty communication; and revised advice throughout, provide faculty, student affairs and disability professionals with the most up-to-date practices. The text delivers updated legal guidance and case references, assistance in benchmarking office policies and practices, new case studies, and a review chapter for teaching and assessing learning. New examples impart the best decision-making practices, describe what to do when things go awry, and discuss how to avoid problems by implementing strong accessibility-focused policies. Written by noted educators and practitioners at prestigious health science schools, this text is backed by years of practice and expertise. It is written in an easy-to-read, engaging manner that makes disability inclusion and disability law accessible to all.

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Physicians’ Perceptions Of People With Disability And Their Health Care

In this Health Affairs article (Physicians’ Perceptions Of People With Disability And Their Health Care), the authors write about potentially biased among physicians and how these views may contribute to persistent health care disparities affecting people with disability: 

Abstract:

More than sixty-one million Americans have disabilities, and increasing evidence documents that they experience health care disparities. Although many factors likely contribute to these disparities, one little-studied but potential cause involves physicians’ perceptions of people with disability. 

In our survey of 714 practicing US physicians nationwide, 82.4 percent reported that people with significant disability have worse quality of life than nondisabled people. 

Only 40.7 percent of physicians were very confident about their ability to provide the same quality of care to patients with disability, just 56.5 percent strongly agreed that they welcomed patients with disability into their practices, and 18.1 percent strongly agreed that the health care system often treats these patients unfairly. 

More than thirty years after the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was enacted, these findings about physicians’ perceptions of this population raise questions about ensuring equitable care to people with disability. Potentially biased views among physicians could contribute to persistent health care disparities affecting people with disability.


Physician Reluctance to Seek Care for Mental Health Conditions

Medical licensure application questions (MLAQs) about  mental health are related to physicians' reluctance to seek help for a mental health condition because of concerns about repercussions to their medical licensure. 

Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye, a Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, shares results of her study appearing in the October 2017 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, which examined the association between medical licensing application questions and physicians’ reluctance to seek care for mental health issues. The authors note physicians were more likely to be reluctant to seek care for mental health concerns if they worked in a state where initial/renewal medical license application questions asked about diagnosis or treatment for a mental health condition rather than only asking about current impairment from a mental health condition. 


AAMC webinar recording: Creating a Balance Professionalism, Communication and Students with Disabilities

 Don't miss this AAMC webinar recording:

Creating a Balance Professionalism, Communication and Students with Disabilities



This webinar, recorded on October 7, 2015 addresses the importance of establishing and maintaining appropriate boundaries and provides numerous examples of positive and appropriate communication for various types of conversations (e.g., disclosure, requests, scheduling an accommodation). This guidance helps aid DS providers, faculty, and administrators who work with students with disabilities to understand the principles of professional communication.

Speakers:

Neera R. Jain, MS, CRC
University of California, San Francisco; Auckland Disability Law

Lisa Meeks, PhD
University of California, San Francisco

Maxine A. Papadakis, MD
The University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine

Professionalism in communication between university personnel and students is critical when addressing disability related needs and implementing accommodations. Students often struggle with how (and how much) to discuss their disabilities with faculty and supervisors. This can be especially difficult for students with disabilities that might impact their communication (e.g., Autism, Asperger’s, non-verbal learning disorder, psychological disability). As well, faculty and administrators may unwittingly complicate matters by slipping into their role as a provider, further blurring the lines of communication.

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