Political disclosure: resisting ableism in medical education

Abstract

Disabled students remain underrepresented in medical education and encounter barriers in the educational environment. Analyses of disclosure tend to focus on logistical acts and suggest that students are likely to ‘cover’ their disabilities in order to manage others’ perceptions of their capability. Using data from a grounded theory study conducted at four US medical schools, the article demonstrates how some medical students reveal their disability experiences for collective benefit and to counter stigma. These strategic acts, political disclosures, resist ableist conceptions of disability in medicine. Students described ways they disclosed politically, compelled by certain drivers: desiring belonging, connecting individual concerns to systemic problems, having certain individual attributes, and acquiring status. Against this, a sense of risk to future career and a lack of structural support hindered such acts. Structural measures to support positive identity development and address ableist culture are offered in response.

Keywords:

• Medical students with disabilities
• disability
• disclosure
• medical education
• ableism
• political disclosure

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my sincere thanks to the study participants for sharing their stories in service of this research. I also thank my supervisors, Professor Janet S. Gaffney and Associate Professor Jay Marlowe, for their mentorship and feedback in the development of this work. I thank Dr. Ronald Kramer for his continued support in work and life, and for his assistance in editing this piece. Thanks also to Dr. Lisa Meeks for her support of this project. I thank the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful feedback in shaping this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.