5 “G’s” Getting Access to Health Care for People with Physical Disabilities

1. Getting Started

What does access to health care really mean?  For people with disabilities access to health care means more than finding a good doctor and being able to pay, although these can be huge barriers.  It also means getting to and into the office, getting on the exam table and the equipment and getting equal care as that provided to others.  These additional access barriers to health care faced by people with physical disabilities are the focus of this paper.

The following 5 areas highlight steps you can take to increase your chances of getting the health care you need.

1. Getting Started

2. Getting To, Into and Through a Healthcare Facility

3. Getting Access to Medical Equipment

4. Getting What You Need During Your Visit

5. Getting Changes Made

Do you get good health care? Is it the same as everyone else gets? Can you get on the exam table? Can you use the scale? Can you get into and use the bathroom? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, you may not be getting the same equal access to health care as that provided to others. It’s time to take a closer look at your health and your use of health care services.

The following story may be familiar to you.

“Exam chairs are impossible to get in and out of and I have to have my husband or an office worker help me. I have delayed visits to doctors’ offices because it takes a village to get me on and off an exam table, which means I don’t go to preventive care appointments.”¹

Have you felt this way? It’s a hassle to go to the doctor and so you put off those regular check-ups. “I’m okay, you tell yourself. It’s really nothing. It’s not worth the effort.” By the time you go the doctor, your problem may be worse than you thought. That condition, which could have been prevented or treated early, is now more serious, extensive, expensive and complicated to treat.

Is your health worth the hassle? Sure it is. There are things you can do to help reduce the hassle for yourself and others with physical disabilities.

1.1 Knowing Your Rights and Responsibilities

Just as you are the expert on your body, you should also know your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and about other information that will help you get equal access to health care services.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers public and private health care facilities and doctors offices.  These places are required to provide access to the buildings, services and procedures (examinations, x-rays, weighing, etc.) for people with disabilities.  For example, a medical clinic can be required to meet ADA building requirements (for its parking, entrance, bathrooms, etc,) and also required to provide full access to services, which means that when needed, they would have to help a person onto an exam table or other equipment, like exam chairs.

The ADA is only enforced if you bring barriers to the attention of health care providers.  (The term health care provider used in this paper refers to a broad group of people who provide health services. These individuals include, but are not limited to, doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians, and technologists.) In many cases, providers do not know that barriers exist or they may think it’s not a problem because no one has ever said anything.  They may never know unless you tell them.  You can use the ADA as a tool to improve the quality of care you receive.

Your doctor will probably not have information about the ADA or know where to get it.  You can be ready.  See the “ADA Resources” section below for some basic information on the ADA as it relates to health care.  More information on accessible medical equipment (exam tables and scales) is provided later in this paper.

If you are experiencing problems with access, it is your responsibility to speak up. Taking that first step is often the hardest step.  So, why don’t you do something when you see a problem or know you are not getting equal access to care? 

1. You are too sick or in need of immediate attention and not able to deal with the issue at this time,

2. You don’t know where to start or how to ask for a change,

3. You are fearful that you might anger or insult a health care provider who might punish you in some way,

4. You feel:

• It is too much work,

• It is too much time and possibly too much money,

• It can take months, sometimes years to get results,

• While you might get long-term change, it will not solve your current problems,

1. You assume that someone else will do it.

Only # 1, the first reason on this list, is a good excuse.  Even if you do not think of yourself as a change agent, an advocate or an assertive person, there are things you can do to make things better.  Your goal is good health, which requires that you get equal access to health care.