Table. Demographic and Disability-Related Characteristics of Participants.
| Characteristic | Students with chronic health disabilities (n = 336) | Students with cognitive disabilities (n = 1655) | Students with motor/sensory disabilities (n = 149) | Total (n = 2140) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic characteristics, No. (%) | ||||
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 121 (36.0) | 700 (42.3) | 81 (51.4) | 902 (42.2) |
| Female | 215 (64.0) | 954 (57.7) | 48 (45.6) | 1237 (57.8) |
| Age, y | ||||
| ≤26 | 268 (79.8) | 1212 (73.2) | 123 (82.6) | 1603 (54.9) |
| ≥27 | 68 (20.2) | 443 (26.8) | 26 (17.4) | 537 (25.1) |
| Sexual orientation | ||||
| Heterosexual or straight | 278 (83.2) | 1283 (79.6) | 125 (86.8) | 1686 (80.7) |
| Lesbian, gay, or bisexual | 56 (16.8) | 329 (20.4) | 19 (13.2) | 404 (19.3) |
| Race and ethnicity | ||||
| Underrepresented in medicinea | 62 (18.8) | 401 (24.6) | 24 (16.2) | 487 (23.1) |
| Nonunderrepresented in medicine | 268 (81.2) | 1232 (75.4) | 124 (83.8) | 1627 (73.9) |
| Disability-related characteristics, No. (%) [95% CI] | ||||
| Types of disability within categoriesb | ||||
| Chronic health category | ||||
| Chronic health disability | 296 (88.1) [84.1-91.4] | 296 (13.8) [12.4-15.4] | ||
| Other (open-text responses)c | 40 (11.9) [8.6-15.9] | 40 (1.9) [1.3-2.5] | ||
| Cognitive category | ||||
| ADHD | 1247 (75.3) [73.2-77.4] | 1247 (58.3) [56.2-60.4] | ||
| Learning disability | 173 (10.5) [9.0-12.0] | 173 (8.1) [7.0-9.3] | ||
| Psychological disability | 435 (26.3) [24.2-28.5] | 435 (20.3) [18.6-22.1] | ||
| Other (open-text responses)c | 56 (3.4) [2.6-4.4] | 56 (2.6) [2.0-3.4] | ||
| Motor/sensory category | ||||
| Deaf or hard of hearing | 56 (37.6) [29.8-45.9] | 56 (2.6) [2.0-3.4] | ||
| Mobility disability | 31 (20.8) [14.6-28.2] | 31 (1.4) [1.0-2.0] | ||
| Visual disability | 61 (40.9) [33.0-49.3] | 61 (2.9) [2.2-3.6] | ||
| Other (open-text responses)c | 4 (2.7) [0.7-6.7] | 4 (0.2) [0.1-0.5] | ||
| Need for accommodations: nod (n = 772) | ||||
| Did not request accommodation because does not need accommodation | 80 (23.8) [19.4-28.7] | 646 (39.0) [36.7-41.4] | 46 (30.9) [23.6-38.9] | 772 (36.1) [34.0-38.2] |
| Need for accommodation: yes (n = 1368) | ||||
| Did not request accommodations for any reason other than not needing accommodations | 37 (11.0) [7.9-14.9] | 214 (12.9) [11.4-14.6] | 9 (6.0) [2.8-11.2] | 260 (12.1) [10.8-13.6] |
| Requested accommodations: accommodation was provided by medical school | 210 (62.5) [57.1-67.7] | 772 (46.6) [44.2-49.1] | 92 (61.7) [53.4-69.6] | 1074 (50.2) [48.1-52.3] |
| Requested accommodations: request was denied by medical school | 7 (2.1) [0.8-4.2] | 14 (0.8) [0.5-1.4] | 1 (0.7) [0.0-3.7] | 22 (1.0) [0.7-1.6] |
| Requested accommodations: request is under review by medical school | 2 (0.6) [0.1-2.1] | 9 (0.5) [0.3-1.0] | 1 (0.7) [0.0-3.7] | 12 (0.6) [0.3-1.0] |
Race and ethnicity were categorized as “underrepresented in medicine” and “nonunderrepresented in medicine” in the raw data set received from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The group underrepresented in medicine includes any US citizen or permanent resident who self-identified as 1 or more of the following: American Indian or Alaska Native; Black or African American; Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish Origin; or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Percentages within categories may not sum to 100% because students with multiple types of disabilities were included if all reported disabilities belonged to the same category. Chronic health disabilities include cancer, diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. Cognitive disabilities include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, psychological disabilities, and mental health/neuropsychiatric disorders. Motor/sensory disabilities include all mobility disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing disabilities, and visual disabilities.
Open-text responses from students who replied “other” to the question on the type of disability were categorized into 1 of 3 groups (chronic health disabilities, cognitive disabilities, and motor/sensory disabilities). Examples of open-text responses categorized as chronic health disabilities include cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, HIV, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Examples of open-text responses categorized as cognitive disabilities include depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and test anxiety. Examples of open-text responses categorized as motor/sensory disabilities include amputee, hand splint, and spinal cord injury.
Includes students who replied “I did not request accommodations because I feel I do not need accommodations” to the question “Which of the following best describes why your medical school did not or has not provided accommodations.”