Know Your Rights: the Disability Advocacy Coalition

Written by the Members of the Disability Advocacy Coalition in Medicine

The Disability Advocacy Coalition in Medicine (DAC Med) was founded at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in March 2021 by two first-year medical students at the time, Elizabeth Adams and Trish Kaundinya. We set out to create a space where disability was included in medical education and advocacy for equitable care and treatment of patients and peers with disabilities was encouraged. We believe advocacy can take form through any medium but formally make change through the tenets of education, peer support, programming, national networking, research, and community partnerships. We also recognized a need for increased interprofessional interaction, specifically as it relates to care for patients with disabilities. In speaking to our colleagues in physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, genetic counseling, prosthetics and orthotics, nursing, and dental programs, we saw that the gap in training we were experiencing as medical students existed across programs and the country.

To begin to combat ableism through proper training and education of future healthcare providers, we built a national platform for disability advocacy analogous to SNMA national or LMSA national. DAC Med has now officially expanded to 8 academic institutions nationally, with several more in the process of establishing chapters. Together as a national group and individually as chapters, we create educational events centered on providing information on how to provide equitable care to patients with a multitude of disabilities, as well as provide information to peers on how to advocate for themselves as future providers with disabilities.

We have come together as a national organization to share our advice to students with disabilities embarking or navigating their journey in medicine:

● Know your rights! It is your right to seek accommodations, and it is your right to choose what and when you’d like to disclose information about your disability.

○ Accommodations and Disclosures

■ We encourage transparent communication between students and the disability accommodations offices at all graduate schools. It is always good to double-check your school’s policy but seeking accommodations

● Will not be disclosed on your transcript

● Should not require disclosing any diagnosis to anyone outside of the accommodations office (including those grading you!)

● Will not be something future residencies or jobs will not be notified about

○ It is important to know the timing of your board examinations. It can be difficult at times to get accommodations for board examinations such as the USMLE STEP 1. We recommend getting accommodations at your institution in place as soon as possible if you’re considering seeking accommodations during board examinations. They frequently require evidence you have received them during medical school.

● Be aware of which states require disclosure of disabilities including mental health conditions and to what extent they require disclosure

● When you are going to start your rotations, make sure you notify clerkship administrations of any accommodations you will need. This could be anything from standing restrictions (such as during your surgery rotation), visual impairment, paraplegia, etc.

● Look up disability organizations and mentorship programs at your school that will provide you with disability-related resources and tools and a supportive community.

We also have compiled advice for all current and future providers as they commit to being an ally for those with disabilities, whether it may be their patient, their colleague, or anyone:

● Don’t assume someone with a disability needs your help

○ Ask if you think they might like some help before jumping in!

● Don’t ignore their disability

○ Ask questions directly about how you can make the care you deliver more accessible. Be receptive to feedback and always seek improvement.

● Be aware that a huge amount of disabilities are not visible! Believe individuals when they disclose a disability and don’t assume someone you’re interacting with does not have a disability just because you can’t see it.

○ This can come in handy when even going on rounds. Assuming folks want to or can take the stairs is an example where we can fall short for our colleagues with disabilities and put them in an awkward position.

● Use Alt Text when creating posts on social media including Twitter!

○ This allows those using screen readers to engage with the image you posted

● Be supportive of a climate that is inclusive in disability training. Many medical schools started to shift towards a curriculum where medical students get exposure on how to advocate/care for people with disabilities. Always be open-minded and look for gaps in your practice or education regarding disability advocacy.

● Always ask your patient if they need any accommodations with their visit. ​​Make sure your office has the necessary equipment to conduct examinations on patients with disabilities.