Nationally, about 19 percent of Americans, including 10 percent of working-age adults, identify as having a disability, according to the 2010 Census. But nobody knows how many psychologists have disabilities, found Erin Andrews, PsyD, when she and Emily Lund, a graduate student at Utah State University, examined the topic in a reviewopens in new window for Training and Education in Professional Psychology (2015).
Not only is there no consistent definition of "disability," but there is no reliable or comprehensive measure to track the number of psychologists who might meet that definition, the researchers found.
People with disabilities appear to be underrepresented, both as practitioners and students, concluded Andrews and Lund, noting that the lack of supervisors with disabilities deprives students of much-needed mentors and role models.
In addition, psychology trainees with disabilities face significant barriers, some research suggests. In a study in Rehabilitation Psychologyopens in new window (2014), Lund, Andrew and co-author Judith M. Holt, PhD, found that most psychology trainees reported experiencing discrimination based on their disabilities.
"The perception of these folks was that there's discrimination and prejudice that makes it harder for them to get placement and be competitive, particularly for internship placements and practicum sites," says Andrews. (For more on students with disabilities, read "Dispelling myths about students with disabilities," in the April issue of APA's gradPSYCH .)
The TEPP article calls for more research to determine disability prevalence in psychology as well as what barriers may exist. Training programs should be enhanced, the authors say, while disability needs to be included in the definition of diversity "across all levels of professional education and training."
— Lorna Collier