Adapting Neurology Residency: A Case Study and Practical Guide for Accommodations for a Disabled Resident.

Abstract

Neurologists with disabilities remain underrepresented in the US physician workforce despite decades of legal protections mandating accommodation. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act provides a statutory framework, graduate medical education programs frequently lack structured, operational processes to implement accommodations in residency training. In this case study, a neurology program director and resident-both physicians with spinal cord injuries-describe how they adapted a neurology residency to support equivalent training while preserving educational rigor and patient safety. Before residency began, they identified accessible clinical sites, designed equivalent rotations to preserve educational rigor, and conducted audits of key clinical spaces. When environmental or scheduling demands exceeded feasible modification, they implemented alternative solutions that ensured the resident's educational exposure remained on par with nondisabled peers. Unanticipated barriers-including security policy changes and environmental hazards-further refined a structured workflow emphasizing early engagement, environmental review, and iterative reassessment. This experience informed development of a practical, replicable framework and accompanying Practical Guide. By documenting both anticipated and unforeseen barriers, this case illustrates how neurology training can evolve from ad hoc accommodation toward proactive institutional design that aligns inclusion with educational excellence.