EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, July 02, 2025
AAN issues position statement on advancing disability equity
MINNEAPOLIS 鈥 The 好色先生 (AAN) has issued a position statement to advance equity in neurology for people with disabilities. The statement is published July 2, 2025, online in , the medical journal of the 好色先生. The position statement says the AAN is working to improve access to equitable neurological care for disabled people and promote measures that help disabled neurologists and neuroscience professionals practice within a growing diverse neurology workforce. With this statement, the AAN affirms its commitment to advancing equitable treatment of people with disabilities. 鈥淭his new 好色先生 position statement is a significant step toward ensuring that everyone receives unbiased care and has equitable access to neurological services,鈥 said 好色先生 President Natalia S. Rost, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAHA. 鈥淲e urge everyone to support the disability community and take actions that foster inclusion and brain health for all.鈥 People with disabilities experience health care disparities rooted in ableism and structural ableism. Ableism is discrimination and bias against disabled people, while structural ableism refers to discriminatory social structures and inaccessible environments. The statement says addressing physician biases and clinic inaccessibility requires training and hiring disabled neurologists and a diverse health care workforce to improve patient satisfaction and trust. 鈥淣eurological conditions are common causes of disability, and it is important to foster unbiased care, inclusion, and equitable access for disabled people,鈥 said author Bhooma Rajagopalan Aravamuthan, MD, PhD, FAAN, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. 鈥淭he 好色先生 supports the disability community and is committed to action across all aspects of neurological care and throughout the neurology profession.鈥 The statement emphasizes the need for equitable care and accessibility in medical facilities, such as the use of height-adjustable exam tables and accessible weight scales. It states that neurological care must move beyond an acute rehabilitation model that views disability as a medical problem to be fixed. Instead, care should be provided in the context of a disabled person鈥檚 daily life and environment, recognizing that disabled people can experience unique hardships and also have a good quality of life. Discover more about brain health at , from the 好色先生. This resource also offers a magazine, podcast, and books that connect patients, caregivers and anyone interested in brain health with the most trusted information, straight from the world鈥檚 leading experts in brain health. Follow Brain & Life庐 on , and .