Empowering Individuals with Physical Disabilities in Higher Education and STEM
By: Marina Z. Nakhla, Graduate Student, California State University, Northridge
I’m a bilateral above-knee amputee pursuing my master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. I was born with congenital abnormalities, which led to an amputation when I was only fourteen months old. I was also born with four fingers on my left hand and three fingers on my right hand.
My disability has had a tremendous impact on all aspects of my life, but it has also molded me into the strong and hard-working individual I am today. As a scientist with disabilities, I would like to share about the challenges I have faced and the accomplishments I have had in order to empower others like me to continue working and seizing the opportunities available to them.
Addressing Misconceptions towards Students with Physical Disabilities in Higher Education
Although society is now considerably more accepting of individuals with physical disabilities than it was years ago (e.g., prior to when the American with Disabilities Act was passed), there are still several misconceptions and challenges that we as a population continue to face.
I’ve personally encountered these misconceptions as I progressed throughout my education. More specifically, some people falsely believe that those with physical disabilities are given special treatment and opportunities. For example, in high school I was one of the students selected to meet with an advisor from a local university because I was on the “right track.”
A few years after I had graduated, I heard that there was a parent who was upset because her own child was not selected. This led her to target me, making comments about how I was chosen because of my disability. Fortunately, she was told by school officials that I was not chosen for my disability, but for my qualifications.
I still worry from time to time that people believe that I’m “given” things within higher education just because I don’t have legs. In fact, I’ve heard people comment that acceptance to certain opportunities is easy for people who have minority statuses. It’s critical that this misconception is swiftly and meaningfully addressed by in all communities, including higher education and STEM.
Acceptance to rigorous programs and prestigious scholarships is a result of hard work, diligence, and dedication, not simply identifying with a particular group. I personally feel that as a physically disabled student, I have to work twice as hard as my peers. These opportunities are not special privileges, but a means for success.
Self-Advocacy and Asking for Accommodations
As a physically disabled student, there should be no shame in asking for accommodations whether that be in the classroom or in the lab. Accommodations are available in order to make it possible for individuals with any type of disability to be able to obtain higher education and work in a lab. Fortunately, we live in a society and time period in which advanced technology can make these opportunities more accessible to all kinds of people.
It takes a lot of self-advocacy in order to get your needs addressed. Nothing is handed to anyone. Being physically disabled, I’ve learned to always stand up for myself, ask for assistance, and never shy away from asking questions — whether that is or isn’t related to my disability. Not taking this initiative could impact your self-esteem and hinder you from working to your best potential. Thus, it is important to choose your mentor wisely, work with the disability office at your campus, and seize the power of your support system overall.
Programs that Support Underrepresented Individuals in Science
Taking advantage of every opportunity that is available has really allowed me to progress throughout higher education. I am currently a scholar in the NIH-funded RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) Program, a program which is aimed at increasing the diversity of the pool of biomedical researchers. Furthermore, I have gained summer research experience by working in the UC San Diego STARS (Summer Training Academy for Research Success) program twice and was recently awarded the Sally Casanova (California State University Pre-Doctoral Program) scholarship. All of these experiences and opportunities have molded me into the scientist I am today, increased my passion and motivation to pursue a doctoral degree, and provided me with an extremely strong support network.
I’m very grateful for the plethora of support that I’ve received from these programs, my wonderful mentors, and the friends I’ve made throughout. Being in these programs has allowed me to learn about everyone’s stories and challenges, as well as how they have used these challenges to share their unique perspectives in science. I encourage anyone who is underrepresented in the sciences to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there — NIH training grants, scholarships, summer research programs — because ultimately, they are there to provide you with rigorous research experiences and help you succeed on this challenging path.
It’s important to address discrimination head on by increasing public awareness and conquering the misconceptions we face. Disability should be considered a part of the broader goal of diversity and inclusion within the academic, scientific, and professional workforces. Even if some of us must work harder than others, we should all find what motivates us, strive to succeed, and take advantage of every opportunity available to pursue our dreams.
Looking for organizations that support scientists with disabilities? Here are some to help you get started:
- NIH’s Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program — provides grants to institutions with a commitment and history of developing students from populations underrepresented in biomedical sciences
- Entry Point! from the American Association for the Advancement of Science — identifies and recruits students with apparent and non-apparent disabilities studying in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business for internship and co-op opportunities.
- Chemists with Disabilities (CWD) in the American Chemical Society — promotes educational and professional opportunities in the chemical sciences and in fields requiring knowledge of chemistry for persons with disabilities.
- Foundation for Science and Disability in the United States Department of Agriculture — promotes the integration of scientists with disabilities into all activities of the scientific community and of society as a whole and to promote the removal of barriers that hinder success of students with disabilities in pursuit of scientific careers.
Portions of this article reprinted with permission from STEM + Culture Chronicle and Biomedical Beat.
Marina Z. Nakhla is pursuing her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at California State University, Northridge. She hopes to pursue a pursue a PhD in Clinical Neuropsychology on day.
