Acknowledging and Accepting Disabilities in Veterinary Medicine

I grew up somewhere in between the James Herriot era and the development of 48 AVMA-recognized veterinary specialties. A member of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians, my stints in companion medicine and my fascination with access to care often baffle people. My upbringing exposed me to a profession with endless opportunities. My mom doctored dogs, cats, sheep, and goats, and I sometimes accompanied her as she went back and forth from her small animal clinic to her second job at the Ministry of Agriculture in the Dominican Republic, where she eventually worked on poultry medicine and public health. I woke up many mornings to find out she had left overnight to care for an emergency. Years after closing her brick-and-mortar practice, my mom kept a vaccine cooler for her clients of 20-plus years who refused to take their pets to see anyone else.

As I navigated my own path in veterinary medicine in the United States, I saw less people who looked like me. Having joined far too many extracurricular activities, I explored diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), becoming almost comfortable in spaces that supported belonging focusing on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. However, boxes, limits, and borders continued to frustrate me. My brain saw connections others did not—like improperly stacked Tetris pieces I wished I could rotate. Multiple disability diagnoses later; the puzzle started to fit together. This extrovert with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) made it through two doctoral programs undiagnosed.

I started exploring intersectionality, which reflects how identity markers and social identities such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability create unique experiences, opportunities, and barriers for each person. My historically marginalized and privileged identities became more obvious—levels of social identities shaped my experiences—because we are not a checkbox, but multidimensional humans with complex identities.

Because of the biases towards people with disabilities, Dr. Navarrete Talloni and I authored this article as an overview of disabilities, to discuss their relevance to the profession, and to provide actionable items for inclusion. My physical and mental disabilities shaped my accomplishments and limitations as much as my other social identities. And yet, in most spaces where we discuss DEI, we are only beginning to mention disabilities and neurodiversity. As a profession, we leverage and embrace innovation and scientific advancement for patient care but neglect to apply the same to our people. We must change our structures and protocols to be more inclusive whether social identities are visible or not.

What are Disabilities?

Medically, disabilities are physical or mental impairments that limit activity and restrict participation.^1,2 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as someone who currently has, has a history of, or is perceived by others as having an impairment that limits life activities.³ This article does not provide legal advice; the definitions are based on author interpretation.

Having a disability and being disabled are not synonymous, as individuals with disabilities may still be fully active within their communities. Some individuals prefer first-person language such as “person with a disability” while others prefer identity-first language such as “disabled person.”⁴ Language matters to the individual, and these preferences are also a reminder that social perceptions of disability are rooted in bias and require legal protection from discrimination, regardless of whether it limits activity. Systemic discriminatory practices directly impact individuals with disabilities and disabled individuals. Having a disability is tied to disadvantages in socioeconomic status, health outcomes, educational success, and career access.^1,5,6

There are various ways to categorize disabilities. One dimension is time of onset, including acquired, genetic, congenital, and/or developmental disabilities. Another dimension is course, which includes acute, chronic, progressive, stable, terminal, and/or episodic disabilities. In addition, disabilities are often categorized based on the major function affected, including mobility, communication, intellectual, cognitive, chronic health, sensory, and/or mental health impairments and disabilities.⁷

Visibility, Observability, and Perception

It is common to define disabilities based on visibility. Visible disabilities are defined as visibly apparent, while invisible disabilities such as learning differences and debilitating pain are impairments that are not visible.^4,8 However, defining ability through the lens of vision is ableist in and of itself. Relatively easily perceived disabilities such as hearing, vision, and speech impairments are not visually evident. Conditions in which mobility aids are not always necessary or in which individuals with the same disability leverage assistive devices differently do not fit the visible and invisible disability paradigm either.

Our upbringing and beliefs influence our biases and can make it more difficult to perceive, understand, and/or adapt to the lived experiences of our colleagues. Oftentimes, individuals with inapparent disabilities face disregard for their limitations. The biases and expectations people often have of someone with debilitating conditions and mental health disorders are different from those of someone with a physical disability.^7-9 Overcoming internal biases is a crucial piece of the puzzle to creating inclusive teams.¹⁰

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity refers to neurologic differences that result in differing mental or neurologic functions.^9,11 Neurotypical behaviors are considered normal under societal norms.^12,13 Neurodiverging conditions such as autism and ADHD are disabilities; however, neurodiversity goes beyond a diagnosis. Neurodiversity embraces that individuals do not fit into the same mold and nudges us to value the diversity of our strengths.^9,12 The same divergent qualities that create challenges and tension also lead to innovation through creative problem-solving. These neuronal differences allow individuals to perceive and engage with the world differently.¹³ As we learn about neurodiversity, we must adapt the workplace to be inclusive to all. However, these conditions are still disabilities, and accommodation may be needed.

Relevance in the Veterinary Profession

More than 10% of individuals in the veterinary profession have a disability.^14,15 It is crucial that individuals from historically marginalized communities, such as people with disabilities and disabled individuals, do not carry the sole burden of change. Assuming that individuals with disabilities are not present results in failure to provide accommodation and resources. Disabled individuals and individuals with disabilities are part of the profession—regardless of whether you can observe them there or not. For example, neurodivergent individuals often mask their traits to appear neurotypical, a process directly tied to chronic stress, burnout, and suicidal ideation.^16-19

People do not have to disclose their disability status. The likelihood of someone disclosing their disability is a fine balance between the needs associated with the condition, likelihood of being embraced, and the fear of other’s perception (BOX 1).²⁰ Like members of other historically marginalized communities, individuals with disabilities and/or impairments are more likely to experience harassment and discrimination.¹⁴ Some are unable to or unwilling to speak up, feeling worried, scared, and even ashamed.²⁰

Individuals with disabilities might question whether they belong in the veterinary profession and, if so, what their place is within the profession.²⁰ More than half of veterinarians do not recommend veterinary medicine as a career due to debt, compensation, burnout, and work–life balance.^21,22 More widely, biased commentary regarding disabilities is present all around in academic institutions, private settings, and social media.

Self-Advocacy

Addressing ableism in the workplace requires veterinary medical professionals to change our mindset and restructure how we do things. In an ideal world, we would all have equitable access to the necessary resources. Individuals must find both a supportive community and become their own advocate. Examples of actions that individuals with disabilities can take include:

• Speak up for yourself when you can—to peers, coworkers, and to leadership.
• Find community both inside as well as outside of your organization. This includes peers, mentors, friends, and/or family.
• Ask for advice from mentors inside and outside your organization.
• Adapt like you would for anything else—resilience, community, resources, and a growth mindset make individuals and communities thrive.
• Be vocal about what you do whenever possible. Be open to sharing what helps you function more efficiently and demystify taking time off for appointments and therapy (e.g., physical, speech, occupational, mental health).

Allyship and Systemic Change

As we learn more about disabilities, we must create small rifts that become waves of change. Start with small changes and being the ally in the room. As an individual, you can create change from within and start a snowballing effect that improves the veterinary industry. “You don’t know what you don’t know” is no longer a valid justification. We now have the tools to be intentionally inclusive, fostering representation, accessibility, and education. You do not have to be knowledgeable of every identity that has been historically marginalized, but you can actively show your ongoing dedication to learning and standing up for those of marginalized identities.

Inclusion makes our profession welcoming and leads to innovation, allowing us to practice better medicine and better serve our communities. The lack of DEI in the veterinary profession is detrimental to access, retention, and wellbeing. Actions that individuals can take to support equity in the profession are listed in BOX 2. Fostering a growth mindset, increasing your knowledge of the topic, and checking on your own biases are places to start.

At the company, community, and systemic levels, efforts must address barriers to representation, mentorship, education, and financial aid. In the workplace, it starts with inclusive hiring practices; accommodations and resources (see the CASE STUDIES for some real-world examples); creating safe spaces for identity expression; and education on communication, active listening, feedback, conflict management, DEI, and disability-inclusive language.^4,9,12 Supporting team members with disabilities can result in increasing accessibility for clients and customers as well.

Summary

Disability and neurodiversity are part of the veterinary profession whether we recognize them or not. More than 1 in 10 of our colleagues live with a disability, and many more navigate neurodivergent experiences that remain undisclosed. The framework of “visible” versus “invisible” disability centers sight as the legitimacy measure and obscures conditions our peers carry. It is bias, not biology, that renders a colleague invisible in the workplace.

The structures we work within (clinics, classrooms, hospitals) were not designed with inclusion in mind. “The way it has always been” has shaped who thrives and who burns out, masks, or leaves the profession. Addressing this does not require dismantling what we have built, it requires looking at our structures with fresh eyes, making room for both order and flexibility, and accepting that inclusion is an ongoing practice rather than a completed project.

Meaningful change begins at the individual level. Each of us can examine our own biases, learn the language of disability inclusion, speak openly about wellbeing and accommodation, and consider the “what if” of a colleague or client whose needs differ from our own. Teams and organizations must invest in accessible environments, transparent accommodation processes, inclusive hiring, and mentorship pipelines that reach students and early-career professionals from historically marginalized communities. Neurodivergent and disabled professionals should not carry the burden of change alone.

Inclusive workplaces are better workplaces. They retain talent, foster innovation, improve patient care, and serve communities more fully. The veterinary profession has always embraced scientific advancement in the service of our patients; it is time to extend that same curiosity, rigor, and compassion to the people who practice it.