Assuring diversity of faculty in graduate school programs continues to be a focus of practice and research because of the need to ensure inclusion for all students seeking higher education. Women, individuals with disabilities, and individuals with other traditionally underrepresented cultural group identities are all underrepresented at the doctoral level in higher education, in tenure-track, full professor faculty positions, and in administrative leadership positions such as dean and president. This study is one of the first to document how doctoral program students with disabilities, who also have other traditionally underrepresented cultural group identities, experienced the successes and challenges of earning a doctoral degree. An intersectional framework was used to explore access and inclusion at the doctoral level in academia. Four major themes-defining personal cultural identities, navigating systems and situations, resources and motivation, and leveraging lived experience as a skill set for work in a chosen field-emerged from the data. Recommendations to increase access and inclusion are offered.Jobs that require graduate-level education are increasing in the United States (Torpey, 2019). Additionally, faculty members with doctoral-level education are required to provide instruction and leadership for the diverse body of students who will enter the workforce or continue as instructors in academia (Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc, 2021). Women, faculty of color, and faculty with disabilities are underrepresented at the doctoral level in higher education in tenure-track, full professor faculty positions, and in administrative leadership positions such as dean and president (Aiston & Fo, 2021; Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc, 2021;Smith et al., 2012;West & Curtis, 2006). The statistics coursework required for the successful completion of a doctoral program may present challenges for many students with traditionally underrepresented cultural group identities (TUCGI), due to limited knowledge and experience with math and research methods or difficulties with access to course materials for students with disabilities

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disparate impact across demographic groups, resulting in BIPOC and disabled people experiencing transmission, hospitalization, and death at higher rates than White and non-disabled populations. However, responses within the pandemic created new avenues for access to people with disabilities, including telehealth, work from home opportunities, and virtual participation, which were the very solutions and accommodations they have been requesting, but denied, for years. The call for a "return to normal" is steeped in ableist thinking. Society was made aware of the inequities for disabled people throughout the pandemic, and flexible solutions must be retained and refined to continue the access provided during this time. As a start to a discourse on reflection and action, the authors suggest four areas to target for change toward health equity: (a) messaging and communication, (b) accessibility, (c) addressing attitudinal barriers, and (d) seeking and using the input of disabled people. The following presents an overview of each factor and action steps, with resources to guide them.Author note: Although APA style conventions and professional discourse support the use of person-first language in academic writing about disability, both person-first and identity-first language was used throughout this paper. One of the authors identifies as disabled, and we chose to use both out of respect for the disabled community about whom we speak.

The emphasis on social action in rehabilitation counseling professional associations has declined over the years, making it challenging to mobilize and collaborate with the disability community. In this article, we argue for a return to social action. However, in order for social action to have legitimacy, it is imperative that professional associations in rehabilitation counseling partner with disability rights and consumer advocacy groups. As part of re-engaging in social action, rehabilitation counseling associations must re-commit to amplifying the voices of disabled people.

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