Advancing Equity 4 Disabled Medical Learners: The Critical Role of Disability Resource Professionals

Title: DREAM Research Rounds: Advancing Equity for Disabled Medical Learners – The Critical Role of Disability Resource Professionals.

Air date: August 14, 2025

Speakers:
Sarah E. Triano, MS, NCC, LPC
Erin Broskowski, MS, NCC, LPC

Description:
As more medical students disclose disabilities, institutions are increasingly challenged to provide adequate support. This session presents findings from a national study of disability resource professionals (DRPs), the individuals tasked with coordinating accommodations and ensuring accessibility in medical education. Drawing on survey data, we’ll explore the realities of DRP roles—including high caseloads, limited institutional support, and systemic barriers that hinder equity. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the structural gaps in disability services and leave with actionable strategies to strengthen institutional capacity through improved staffing, training, and investment in DRP infrastructure. Together, we'll consider how to build more inclusive, sustainable systems that support disabled learners across the medical education continuum.

Article here: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1...

Bios:

Sarah E. Triano, MS, NCC, LPC is a dedicated leader in academic support and disability inclusion in health sciences education. She currently serves as Director of the Center for Learning Excellence at Geisinger College of Health Sciences, where she oversees academic and accessibility services across multiple programs. With a strong foundation in clinical mental health counseling and a forthcoming Ed.D. in Higher Education from West Chester University, Sarah brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and administrative leadership to her work.

She is a nationally recognized advocate for disability access in medical education, serving in leadership roles with the Doctors With Disabilities Initiative as current Director of Special Projects and former Chair of Access In Medicine (AIM). She is also a lead instructor for the DRP Academy. Her work includes co-authoring national guidelines, leading transformative training programs, and presenting at major conferences such as the AAMC Learn Serve Lead Annual Meeting.

Erin Broskowski, MS, NCC, LPC has been working in the world of higher education disability services since 2013. She holds a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling and is a Nationally Certified Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor in Illinois. In 2022 she was one of a handful of disability resource professionals selected to participate in a year-long professional development experience designed to improve access to medical education for people with disabilities. Erin currently serves UI College of Medicine students on all three campuses: Chicago, Rockford and Peoria.

Erin is also a proud member of the Access In Medicine (AIM) Working Group, that develops valuable guidance and resources that empower medical schools to create inclusive and equitable educational environments to address barriers and foster equal access for individuals with disabilities in Undergraduate Medical Education (UME). She had the privilege of graduating from the Doctors With Disabilities Initiative (DWDI) Disability Resource Professional Academy led by Dr. Lisa Meeks.

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