494 The Professional Counselor | Volume 13, Issue 4 but not elaborated, signaling openness to further discussion while respecting boundaries and client priorities is warranted. Intrusive questioning is never appropriate, and client autonomy and treatment goals should always be respected. In my own work, I think of this similarly to when I may diffuse a question regarding trauma on an intake by acknowledging the client may not yet trust me; we can come back to discuss it further at any time in our work together, and I invite them to share to their level of comfort. An example of broaching a visible or previously disclosed disability might be simply asking if there is anything that can be done to increase accessibility or comfort in the space. Another approach might be to reflect the client’s own language to describe the disability, chronic illness, assistive technology, etc. and to simply ask if there is anything specific that the client would like for you to know up front that would support your work together, or whether they would like to address things as they come up. Conclusion Disability culture is rich and complex, asserting its place in sharp contrast to mainstream narratives with defiance. It is a culture that celebrates wholeness and intersectionality and challenges ableist norms without apology for occupying space. By understanding how ableism in counseling and counselor education fits into the broader history of disability oppression and increasing awareness of disability culture and disability justice, the counseling profession can better serve the disability community. Normalizing conversation about disability allows us to prepare ourselves, our students, and our supervisees to work with this large and diverse population. When we act intentionally to proactively make spaces accessible, we are providing disabled people with the same rights we provide to other clients. This allows them to share their stories gradually and comfortably, without having to disclose too early or fight for their basic rights. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure The authors reported no conflict of interest or funding contributions for the development of this manuscript. References ADA National Network. (2016). ADA checklist for existing facilities. https://www.adachecklist.org/doc/fullcheck list/ada-checklist.pdf ADA National Network. (2024). Top ADA frequently asked questions. https://adata.org/top-ada-frequently-askedquestions American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association 2020: The official guide to APA style (7th ed.). Berne, P. (2015). Disability justice – a working draft. Sins Invalid. https://www.sinsinvalid.org/blog/disabilityjustice-a-working-draft-by-patty-berne Brown, S. E. (2015). Disability culture and the ADA. Disability Studies Quarterly, 35(3). https://doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v35i3.4936 CAST. (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Disability impacts all of us. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/ disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html
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