FISA Foundation

Current Initiatives

Initiatives

Increasing Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities

Access to Dental Care for People with Disabiliities

Girls Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania

Regional Initiative to End Domestic and Sexual Violence

Increasing Access to Healthcare for People with Disabilities

Is access to health care really an issue?

A surprising number of people with disabilities see multiple medical specialists but never receive basic information about diet and exercise, smoking cessation, family planning, and other health prevention topics. Women with disabilities deserve appropriate gynecological health screenings for STDs as well as Pap smears and mammograms. Unfortunately, there are a variety of attitudinal and physical barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing quality health care.

What prevents people with disabilities from receiving quality health care?

Barriers such as inaccessible examination tables and mammography machines, no available sign language interpreters for people with hearing impairments, lack of health education information in alternative formats for people with visual impairments, and unreliable transportation prevent many people with disabilities from receiving care. Furthermore, medical professionals are not reimbursed for the extra time and number of staff required to assist patients with limited mobility.

Attitudinal barriers are more subtle, but can discourage people from seeking health care. Stereotypes about people with disabilities are so entrenched that, in the absence of specific training, health care professionals and medical students can inadvertently make decisions based on misinformation. Trainings need to address unexamined attitudes (for example, a patient may have significant difficulty with verbal speech but still be cognitively sharp and able to participate in informed decision-making about health care). And myths need to be directly addressed (many people with disabilities have healthy sexual relationships). Everyone who works in a health care setting should be aware of how to respectfully address or refer to a person with a disability (e.g., say "person with multiple sclerosis," not “victim of multiple sclerosis”).

Another issue that needs attention is abuse. Oftentimes, people with disabilities are dependent upon family members or personal attendants who may be abusive. Fear of not being believed, going without assistance, or losing custody of their children leads many of them to not report such situations. Therefore, it is extremely important for health care and disability service providers to screen for domestic and sexual abuse.

What can be done to address these issues?

Since 2000 FISA Foundation has strategically invested in programs and projects focused on increasing access to healthcare for people with disabilities. Some examples of the types of funding strategies that receive priority are those that:

• Support disability awareness and clinical trainings for healthcare professionals and support staff to increase their expertise in serving people with disabilities.
• Partner with nonprofit providers to purchase adaptive medical equipment, such as adjustable examination tables that lower for easy transfer from a wheelchair and scales capable of weighing individuals who cannot stand independently.
• Support the development of innovative service delivery models that address the unique needs of people with disabilities.
• Empower people with disabilities to take an active role as advocates in their healthcare decisions.
• Convene providers to share best practices in serving people with disabilities.