"Prevalence, Perceptions, and Attitudes of Accommodation for Students w" by T J. Babcock and L E. Eberman
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Keywords

Association for Athletic Training Education 2025 Symposium

Abstract

Introduction: Disability accommodation has been widely researched in healthcare education programs, including medical doctor (MD), doctor of osteopathy (DO), and physical therapy (PT). However, little research has been conducted on classroom and clinical education accommodation in athletic training education. The purpose of this study was to explore these settings and gain an understanding of student experiences with accommodation in athletic training education programs. This project was deemed exempt by Indiana State University’s Institutional Review Board. Methods: A cross-sectional 24-question survey was developed and adapted from prior qualitative research on accommodation in physical therapy education. Emails containing a link to the survey were sent to program directors of Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited master of athletic training education programs to forward to current students. The survey consisted of demographics, closed and open-ended questions regarding current athletic training students’ experience with needing and securing accommodation in the classroom and clinical education experiences. Forty-seven individuals consented and completed the survey; 36 (age = 25 ± 6 years; 25 women, 6 men, 1 non-binary) were eligible for the study. Survey answers were inductively categorized and coded for similarities and analyzed. Results: Of the 36 participants, 10 (27%) disclosed to the university that they had a disability, and six (17%) requested accommodation. Twenty-eight participants responded with the type of disability they live with. Nineteen (68%) participants had mental health disabilities such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD; six (21%) had learning disabilities such as dyslexia and comprehension difficulties; and three (11%) described physical health disabilities including epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, and central sensitization syndrome. Reasons given for not disclosing their disability to the program or university included fear of judgment and stigma, feeling weak (n=11, 53%), not severe enough to disclose (n=7, 33%), and no recent or formal diagnosis (n=3, 14%). Additionally, participants were asked if they knew they could request accommodations for the Board of Certification exam and 36% of the participants (n=13/36) responded they knew this information, but only nine indicated they would seek accommodation. Translation to Practice: Despite accommodation being available in athletic training education settings, only 17% of participants sought accommodation for their disability. Students are not disclosing their needs due to the perceived stigma and judgment they may face by peers and faculty. Program directors should take meaningful actions to convey inclusion and support to future and current students with disabilities. The findings can serve as a benchmark for athletic training education program students, but further studies should be conducted to explore attitudes and perceptions of athletic training educators to determine faculty bias and perceptions of student accommodations. Future training for instructors on disability support and specific curricular changes may be warranted to advance athletic training education relative to access to accommodations. Programs should explore assistive technology, modified clinical duties, sign language interpreters, physical accessibility resources, and more to ensure the clinical environments are inclusive to students with disabilities.

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