Mentors as Allies for Disabled Scientists

Abstract

Close to 28% of the population in the United States and Canada is living with disability, yet despite this prevalence, persons with disabilities remain mostly absent in biomedical research. While the role of mentors has been demonstrated to be effective in increasing the number of women and other groups in biomedical research, mentoring disabled scientists remains a gray area. In this short perspective, I share my personal experience as a person with a disability who was mentored by a nondisabled person, who ultimately became an ally.

Keywords: ally; biomedical research; disability; disabled scientist; healthcare; mentors.