Did you know that more than sixty-one million Americans have disabilities? Although legislative actions and conversations about the impact of living with disabilities are increasingly common in workplaces and social places, a study by Iezzoni et al. (2021) identified physicians’ perceptions of people with disabilities contributes to health care disparities. In a small national study, 82% of physicians perceive a worse quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Only 40.7% were “very confident about their ability to provide the same quality of care to patients with disability.” The educational foundations for equitable inclusion begin in our classrooms. This research reveals the importance of including diverse cultural competencies within STEM education.
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