Medical education and disability discrimination: the law and future implications

Students with disabilities who are preparing for careers in health care have been in the forefront of those bringing suit under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 broadened discrimination statutes and renewed attention to students with disabilities in medical education. Based on an analysis of the statutes and case law, the courts in conjunction with medical educators may be expected to refine policies to identify (1) when physicians with disabilities are otherwise qualified; (2) what the essential tasks performed by physicians are; (3) what accommodations to disabled students are reasonable; and (4) how communications about disabilities between program administrators, faculty, and students should be carried out. To ensure that physicians with disabilities are welcome and productive members of the profession, policy must expand from the legal foundation by means of proactive planning and evaluation to minimize the risks of litigation and enhance the environment of medical education.