Disability Awareness Education in PM&R Residency Programs: A National Program Director Survey

This study aimed to measure how many PM&R residencies include a disability awareness program, investigate the format and content of existing programs, understand barriers to including a disability awareness program, and evaluate receptiveness to adopting provided disability awareness resources. A Qualtrics survey was distributed through the PM&R residency program director listserv to all 112 accredited PM&R residencies in the US. 53 program directors completed surveys (47%), and 52 responses were analyzed. 58% of PM&R residencies included a disability awareness program. Frequently utilized formats included didactic courses/lectures (82%), adaptive sports experiences (64%), and panels of individuals with disability (or their caregivers) (46%). Physical disabilities were most commonly covered in the curriculum (96%), followed by intellectual (61%) and sensory disabilities (50%). There was minimal curriculum coverage of the ADHCE Core Competencies on Disability. For residencies without a disability awareness program, barriers included lack of faculty expertise in disability advocacy education (55%), insufficient resources for curriculum development (50%), and limited faculty time (41%). The majority (59%) of residencies reported they would likely or very likely adopt a provided disability awareness program. This study identifies a demand for a comprehensive, standardized disability awareness curriculum for PM&R residency programs.