Meet Sydnee Chavis
Sydnee is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. There she teaches students how to treat patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other complex medical conditions. Dental visits can be stressful for anyone—but they are especially difficult for patients who have communication challenges or sensory sensitivities. You might assume all doctors and dentists are trained to accommodate these needs. But they’re not.
Sydnee knows this firsthand. Her older sister, Brandi, was born with a traumatic brain injury and diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Growing up, Sydnee watched her parents struggle to find primary care doctors and dentists willing to treat Brandi. She had specialists and therapists—but accessing basic care was a challenge. Those experiences drove Sydnee to look for ways to improve access to basic care for everyone—regardless of their disability.
The Challenge
In dental school, Sydnee realized how little training existed for treating patients like her sister. So she made her own path. She started a Saturday volunteer clinic for people with neurodivergent diagnoses and invited her classmates to join. No one taught Sydnee how to work with these patients, but she already had a lifetime of experience with Brandi, so she applied what she knew to the clinical setting.
Today, Sydnee guides dental students through both classroom learning and clinical experience. At the University of Maryland, both are required. But most dental schools still fall short. Sydnee explained part of the problem stems from the accreditation guide. In this 86-page guide, there is only one line requiring dental schools to teach about patients with special needs. Some schools only offer classroom learning and a case study. Yet some schools, like NYU, Penn, and Maryland, have excellent clinical options. Change is happening—but slowly. And the same gaps exist in medical education.
Sydnee’s Mission
Sydnee is on a mission to raise awareness not just for dental students but for the larger society. Too often, people underestimate those with disabilities. They turn away, or express pity. But Sydnee knows from experience that these assumptions are wrong. Her sister Brandi is vibrant, funny, and communicates through song. She leads a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Sydnee wants to reach people who’ve never thought much about disability and invite them to take a second look. She invites us to see past the disability to the humanity in the person before you.
I recently observed what Sydnee meant by this. My partner Ellen and I were walking into a Greek festival when we passed someone on his way out. He was in a motorized wheelchair and had an aide walking nearby. Ellen looked right at him and said, “Hello. Have a great rest of your evening!”—just like she would to anyone else she passed. This man’s face lit up. He smiled and responded back in his own way. It was a moment of connection that enabled him to feel seen. When I told Sydnee this story she said, “And that's exactly what it is… It's appreciating the humanity of the person and that's one of the things I love so much about my job. It makes you as the giver of this interaction or communication feel so good to make somebody feel good. And I find that every day. It's something that's so simple and easy to do. Look at someone and talk to them.”
July is Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month is a time to focus on celebrating the achievements of people with disabilities, raise awareness about disability rights, and promote accessibility for all. It also commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 1990. I highly recommend the documentary Crip Camp for a close-up look at the intensive advocacy work of Judy Heumann and many others with disabilities who worked to achieve this victory.
Libby once said, “When I see injustice, I have to do something.” Sydnee saw how difficult it was for people like her sister to get basic care—and she is working to change that. She’s shaping the next generation of dental care providers. And she’s inviting all of us to shift our mindset.
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