Athletic training students with disabilities: a survey of entry-level education programs

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Disability Studies
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 mandate protections for individuals with disabilities.
• Understanding disability representation in specialized health professions is crucial for inclusive education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the enrollment proportion of students with disabilities in entry-level athletic training education programs (ATEPs).
• To examine the types of disabilities among these students.
• To assess the existence of specific ATEP policies for admitting students with disabilities.

Main Methods:

• A survey was distributed to program directors of 292 accredited entry-level ATEPs.
• Frequency analysis was used to determine disability rates and types.
• The survey instrument was adapted from a previous study on medical education programs.

Main Results:

• A 37% response rate (105 of 283 ATEPs) was achieved.
• 70% of responding ATEPs reported enrolling students with disabilities.
• The proportion of students with disabilities in ATEPs increased from 1.8% to 2.6% over four years, with learning disabilities being the most common (over 80%).
• Fewer than 10% of ATEPs had specific enrollment policies for students with disabilities.

Conclusions:

• Enrollment of students with disabilities in ATEPs is increasing but remains lower than in the general student population.
• Most ATEPs utilize technical standards or disability officers for admissions decisions, rather than specific disability policies.
• Further development of inclusive admission policies may be warranted for ATEPs.