Beth A . Marks TITLE : Jumping Through Hoops and Walking on Egg

I am delighted that the Journal of Nursing Education is beginning to address the experiences of people with disabilities in nursing schools as seen in Donna Carol Maheady’s (1999) article “Jumping Through Hoops, Walking on Egg Shells: The Experiences of Nursing Students with Disabilities.” Almost 25 years have passed, since the implementation of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, and nearly a decade has passed since the protections offered by the Rehabilitation Act were expanded by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). While both of these statutes prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities seeking admission into institutions of higher learning, historically, higher education has vigorously opposed compliance with 1973 Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 (Longmore, 1995). As a board member of an Independent Living Center, which is considered a leader in the disability rights community, I am a part of the community that pushed for the creation and the passage of the ADA. The disability community is well aware that despite the passage of the ADA, people with disabilities continue to face discriminatory practices when seeking admission to and graduating from professional nursing programs. Maheady’s study is part of a small, but hopefully growing body of literature attempting to address issues related to admissions, retention, and accommodations for students with disabilities in nursing schools. However, as a health care professional and a woman with a disability, I believe that Maheady’s study is intrinsically flawed in that it fails to depict the paradigm supported by the disability community. Their perspectives are clearly absent in this research study. Dr. Maheady, like many researchers, uses a medical model to conceptualize and define disability. Unfortunately, the use of a medical model for the purpose of this study instead of a social model has negatively affected the research purpose, sample selection, interview questions, observations, document review, data interpretation, summary, and conclusions. My purpose in preparing this response to Dr. Maheady’s study is multifold. First, two models that are used to study disability issues will be reviewed to illustrate the paradigmatic shift that is occurring in disability studies. Additionally, I will use the social model to critique Maheady’s study and demonstrate the negative behaviors and discriminatory practices perpetuated by the study. Lastly, I will offer recommendations for future education and research related to disability studies in nursing.