Abstract
There have been strategies to increase representation and improve access to the profession of clinical psychology in recent years. However, there remains limited research exploring the experiences of disabled psychologists. It may be considered an evolving research area, particularly in the United States but remains entirely in its infancy in the United Kingdom. Part A presents a narrative review of the literature on experiences of disclosure and discrimination in disabled psychological professionals. The review found themes of disclosure of disability, challenges with seeking accommodations, experiences of ableism, exploring identity and experiences of isolation and invisibility of disability within the professions. The review highlights challenges, as well as positive experiences of being validated and included. The review illustrates an increase in research on disabled psychological professionals in the past 10 years, although much of the research remains unpublished which may limit the impact of such works. Recommendations are made for improving the experiences of disabled psychological professionals, as well as directions for future research. Part B presents an empirical paper that explored the barriers and facilitators to participating in clinical psychology training as a disabled trainee or trainee with a long-term health condition. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-two trainee clinical psychologists who identify as disabled or have a long-term health condition. Using framework analysis, four primary themes were constructed which tell a story of the journey through training, one which presents barriers to access through inflexible systems and challenges with accommodations. Strong narratives of the importance of relationships and support systems were present throughout the trainee’s journey. Recommendations for training courses and regulatory bodies include reflecting on ableism within the profession, as well as having a clearer process for documenting disability and health conditions, and better supporting disabled trainees and trainees with long-term health conditions.