Credentialed Dietetics Practitioners with Disabilities Get the Job Done

Dietetics practitioners are food and nutrition experts who help people live healthier lives. They work in a wide range of settings-from hospitals and research labs to sports teams, schools, nursing homes, and the food industry. Yet, despite the diversity of the populations they serve, the dietetics profession remains predominantly female, white, and able-bodied. Only 2% of dietetics practitioners self-identify as having a disability, compared to 29% of U.S. adults.

There is a growing and urgent need to diversify the field-especially by including practitioners with disabilities.

This powerful and inspiring book features the autobiographies of 15 credentialed dietetics practitioners with disabilities, who share their lived experiences navigating:

• • College and academic accommodations
  • Supervised practice internships
  • National credentialing exams
  • Employment, workplace access, and disability disclosure
  • Disability culture around food, nutrition, and eating

Their disabilities include cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, vision and hearing impairments, mobility disabilities, and chronic illnesses.

In addition to these personal stories, the book includes eight educational chapters on topics including:

• • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
  • The Disabilities in Nutrition and Dietetics Member Interest Group
  • The profession and how to become a dietetics practitioner
  • Disability resources
  • Disability statistics
  • State vocational rehabilitation programs and centers for independent living

This book is an essential resource for:

• • People (teenagers, college students, adults returning to college) with disabilities exploring careers in dietetics or other healthcare professions
  • Dietetics and healthcare students/interns with disabilities
  • Educators, preceptors, managers, and supervisors
  • Career counselors and disability services professionals
  • Allies, family members, and colleagues of people with disabilities

All book royalties are donated to initiatives that support and educate a more disability-inclusive dietetics workforce.

Author: Suzanne Domel Baxter
Publisher: Suzanne Domel Baxter
Published: 11/27/2024
Pages: 276
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.58d
ISBN: 9798991299312


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001

About the Author
Baxter, Suzanne Domel: - Suzanne ("Suzi") Domel Baxter, PhD, RD, LD, FADA, FAND earned a BS degree in dietetics from Texas Christian University and a MS degree and a PhD degree (both in nutrition) from Texas Woman's University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia. She has worked as a dietitian in a residential school for children with disabilities, in a hospital clinic for adults, in school food service, and for the Women, Infants, and Children Program. Most of her career was in nutrition research. She acquired a mobility disability in 2010 which caused her to resign her Research Professor position late in 2016. She has presented widely on nutrition and authored many peer-reviewed publications including several on disability. She is now a disability advocate. She co-founded the Disabilities in Nutrition and Dietetics Member Interest Group within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This group launched on June 1, 2023, with her as the Inaugural Chair. She was recognized as the "Outstanding Dietitian of the Year" in 2012 by the South Carolina Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She received the "Monsen Award for Outstanding Research Literature" in 2017 from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She was recognized as one of "Today's Dietitian's Annual Showcase of Ten Dietitians Who are Making a Difference" in 2025. Her illustrated children's book titled "When I Grow Up, I Can Be a Dietitian!" was published in 2024.