| A majority of genetic counselors encounter disability-related issues on a daily basis, but few genetic counseling training programs provide students with opportunities to interact with individuals with disabilities outside of the medical setting. In order to provide students with a broader understanding of life with disability and allow counselors to present a more accurate representation of disability to their patients, the need to integrate a "disability awareness internship" into the Joan H. Marks graduate program in Human Genetics at Sarah Lawrence College was recognized. To accomplish this task, a needs assessment was conducted, involving a literature review and interviews of five individuals impacted by various disabilities. Direct quotes and recurring themes from individuals with expertise in disability, along with support from the literature, confirmed the need for the development of the proposed "disability awareness internship." The future will involve continued contact and recruitment of organizations to implement the internship. |
